A Better Tomorrow
by princesszofia
Summary: At a time where vampires were not out of the coffin, a devastating plague hits the human population. Billions of humans perished, a food supply deployed, if only they stayed dead… Most vampires took to the ground hoping for a better tomorrow but what if it never comes? Eric/Sookie, AU/Zombies
1. Wake

_Hello everyone!_

_This is an alternate universe to the books. It started in my head watching walking dead thinking to myself what if Eric and Sookie lived in Zombieland? The story is based on the books for characters (and their personalities, I will respect it as much as I can), locations and basic type of supernatural. That is it. The main characters will be Eric and Sookie. It will be told at the third person but shifting from following Eric to Sookie._

_The outbreak happened BEFORE vampires came out of the coffin maybe a couple of weeks before True Blood was introduced. The story takes place years later._

**_I love reviews and sometimes I tend to judge the success of my stories based on it. So when I don't get a lot of reviews for a chapter, I tend to think its because it was garbage and I get depressed and don't write for a while. Moral of this story? Please review, it takes us hours to write stories but only takes you minutes to review. If you like someone's work, why not tell them?_**

**_:o)_**

_p.s As this is my second language please be nice._

A Better Tomorrow

Chapter 1 - Wake

The empty streets of Shreveport were in complete darkness having long lost electricity or the need for it. Most buildings were still standing tall but nature was taking over. Broken glass, broken doors, broken everything littered the ground. Several people were walking slowly moaning for food; a food supply that was long gone, disrupted by a deadly virus that ravaged the human population years ago.

It happened so quickly. No one knew where it originated, where ground zero was located. Sure scientists, politicians, every day people all had a theory but no one knew why, at that precise moment the outbreak occurred.

It started small, at JFK airport (wink to the book The strain). A plane landed from India. Everything seemed normal until it skewed to a halt while landing. Everyone aboard had died within two moments of touchdown. It didn't take long for the passengers to jerk back into motion but unfortunately, they weren't alive. There was no heartbeat, just a driving need, a need to feed on human flesh.

At first, the military and any available organization the United States could mobilize blocked off Long Island and Manhattan but it wasn't enough and soon the virus swept over the country, the continent, the planet.

Humans were terrified by these walking corpses and turned to each other to survive but soon found out that not everyone they knew was actually human.

Shifters and fairies united with the humans to kill the deadly virus before it was too late but the virus won by numbers and soon not only brought the human population from billions to millions scattered around the globe but almost annihilated both shifters and fairies.

The human population wasn't aware of a third group of magical creatures, vampires, who lived their entire existence in the shadows. Vampires were well organized and very resourceful but the plague had showed them there was nothing they could do to secure their food supply while in direct competition with the living corpses. So it was decided by the vampire authorities to go to ground; to bury themselves with the promise of a better tomorrow.

A small group of vampire scientists were tasked to develop a cure and the rest went to sleep letting their bodies desiccate over time because of the lack of blood.

Two of the zombies shambling along the street were attracted by noises coming out of one small building. They could hear or maybe feel something living was moving in the brown rectangular box that was once a bar.

Inside, three humans were whispering to each other to be quiet. One of them reached in his bag and took out a mason jar filled with what looked like blood. He walked over to the broken bar where all alcohol bottles were either smashed or long gone. There was a trap behind it and as the man walked around and tried to open it, he cursed as it was locked.

The dark skinned, dark haired woman was growing impatient and impulsively kicked at the door. That thump drew the attention the living corpses on the street.

The other two men stared at her, slack jawed that she would do something so stupid. In a panic she grabbed the mason jar and threw it at the latch which caused it to smash. The three humans skittered out the back door to escape the corpses that were now lurching in the front.

The blood on the door trickled down to fill the space between the bottom of the door and the frame. In time, that space overflowed and the still fluid blood trembled on the lip of the sill before lazily dripping on to a coffin. It took only moments before one drop worked its way through the lid of the wooden coffin and reached the lips of Eric Northman, once owner of the bar. The blood slipped into his mouth giving him a taste of something he hadn't had in years. The sound of his tough leather skin moving rasped through the door. The corpses, intrigued, walked over and tried to shoulder it open.

Eric opened his eyes and took what would have been a breath if he was alive. He opened his mouth and tried to get more of the blood which was now a small stream. The blood woke his body up slowly but surely although it was taking longer than usual. The blood didn't taste exactly like blood. No, it tasted like synthetic blood.

_Thank you for reading! Don't forget to review :o)_

* * *


	2. From your Dream

**A Better Tomorrow**

Chapter 2 – From your sleep

Sookie was asleep in a locked room of an apartment in Shreveport. Cuddling with her shotgun, she was whispering in her dream; whispers of hope that one day things would be back to normal. She had long stopped having nightmares as slowly she adapted to her new life, a life of survival.

Bon temps had somewhat survived a lot of the contagion as it was populated with a larger than normal crowd of supernatural. Werewolves were the first one who had been alerted of the plague that was slowly making its way to the village. It didn't take long and a lot of explanation on their part to convince the witches and the shifters of the danger everyone was facing.

When the TVs and radios went silent, most humans in Bon Temps were already packing their things ready to leave for a better place. Most of them left going further south where the last reports stated that there was no plague. Through voyagers, the rest of Bon Temps kept tab on the plague and its advancement. To ensure safety, the community had decided to block the main roads so no intruder would join them having learned through unfortunate events that not only they would have to protect their town from dead corpses but also from strangers that wanted their food and their supplies.

As quickly as they could, over a few weeks, the town built walls made out of anything they could find, either furniture, wood or rocks around the perimeter of the entire city. They knew these walls wouldn't stop strangers but they would stop the deads from penetrating the city. Meanwhile, witches worked on wards around the main street of Bon Temps. As these types of wards were difficult to maintain, they had manage to include only the street and a couple of building behind it. These wards were invisible but were design to protect anyone who entered it from creatures and people with bad intentions. Many times the wards proved to be invaluable and overtime everyone had left their home with their most prized possession to all live on the main street where they kept their food, their guns and their medical supplies. Little by little, the town rebuilt a life they could get accustom to, setting up routines while the world around them fell apart.

Sometimes travellers would pass by and from the wall; they could see the main street. Some approached it not knowing that their intentions would determine whether or not they could pass. From the good travellers, the villagers learn the situation outside the wall; other communities had built themselves over the months and the world was now diminished to a couple of millions scattered around. Most lived in communities like Bon temps, living off hunting, fishing, picking and if they were lucky, sometimes of crops left behind by farmers.

Sookie was one of the human who had stayed in Bon Temps and who had helped not only build the wall but also contribute to the community. Most of her days entailed of scavenging for food and helping prepare a meal for the night where the entire town gathered to enjoy their only food for the day. Once a month, a small group would go to a nearby town to scavenge for supplies. Of course, most supplies were gone by now but it was a good exercise to also find travellers with news; having information was invaluable in these times.

Sookie had left with Tara, Sam and Alcide to Shreveport three days ago but this time, they were not there to scavenge.

...

It was on a cold night that Tara had first seen him. The tall and slim shadow was slowly making its way to the main street. He was not walking like a corpse although slower than most human. Tara had first spotted him from the main tower on the main street. She alerted 2 of the guards that were facing her. It was custom for them to not let strangers to come too close to the main street but instead, meeting the intruder half way to assess intentions. They walked very fast towards the shadow armed with their AR15. When they reached, now what looked like a man, they stopped and pointed their riffle at him.

"Identify yourself" had blurred one of them

The shadow kept walking and did not respond. The other man grew impatient and repeated the question still not receiving any response.

"One more step and we shoot"

The shadow, ignoring them, kept walking slowly towards them. The past years had been hard for the 2 men and they had learnt the hard way that the only way to survive in this world was to have no mercy. When in doubt, shoot. So did one of them, one bullet in the man's leg knowing that if this was a mistake, they would be able to fix him up.

The shadow stopped right in its track when the bullet entered the leg. The 2 men did not hear any sound of pain, just the sound of the bullet entering the flesh and the silence that followed. They were left standing in front of the now still shadow wondering why the man was not yelping in pain or expressing any discomfort at all. Instead, they saw his head come up slowly, his pale skin catching a little bit of the moonlight. His lips were dark red; his eyes darker. They saw the fangs slowly coming down and, by instinct, one of them made a step back. They had heard rumors about vampires in the area but no one in Bon Temps had ever seen one.

In a flash, Bill grabbed the throat of the shooter and plunged his fangs onto the jugular; draining the body in less than a minute. The other man, screaming, started running to the main street knowing the ward would protect him. Unfortunately, he knew very little about vampires and their incredible speed. Tara witnessed the vampire killing the second man while she alerted the werewolves of the attack.

Alcide took only a minute to reach the vampire and threw a silver net he had made in case of an attack. Bill had collapsed on the ground screaming in pain from the silver burning his flesh while Alcide was growling and showing teeth. The vampire was brought to a small building just outside the ward where he was made prisoner. Although it seemed that staking the vampire would have been the better choice, Alcide knew that vampires were the only one that were immune to the disease and he knew that the only hope they had resided in their race. Bill was the very first vampire for Bon Temps and Alcide had every intention of having him interrogated.

It took several weeks of starvation for Alcide to receive any information from Bill. It's the hunger that took Bill over and made him struck a deal with Alcide and the community; in exchange for human blood, Bill agreed to give them precious information and protection.

Alcide had accepted the first part of the agreement right away. Tara and another small group of women had volunteered to donate blood which was brought daily in mason jar in exchange of information. The second part of the agreement was left unspoken for as Alcide did not yet trust the vampire.

Over time, Alcide and Bill built a business relationship, which remained platonic. Alcide hated the man just as much as he needed him. Through Bill, the community had learned about vampires and their ways; their structural system and the decision of going underground with the exception of a few who was not only looking for a cure but also protecting their kind. After months of business deals, Alcide had agreed to let Bill walk the ward to see of his intentions, fully knowing that the ward had its limits and it was possible it would not detect Bill's true intentions. But Alcide had judged that Bill would be an addition to the community for the night watch but also night hunting and providing to the humans. He had grown to somewhat trust Bill.

The community didn't take long to appreciate Bill and see the value of having a vampire around. The information he had was invaluable and the cost of blood was worth it. Bill never touched anyone and never fed from them. He would just accept the Mason jar as a token of hard work.

One other vampire had eventually joined the community. It is Pam that had explained to Bon Temps about True Blood, a synthetic blood that was perfected before the plague but had not made the market yet. She explained to them the intention of vampires to go public and that the true blood could sustain vampires for a while although they would always missed real blood. She helped the community obtain true blood which allowed Pam and Bill to live peacefully with Bon Temps despite the hunger always lingering in the back of their head.

As the months past, the dead corpse's population increased and the threat to the community was imminent. Alcide had decided that they would require more help and that vampire were the solution. Through discussion with Pam, he knew that there were more vampires in Shreveport and although she refused to tell him where they were, he started sending groups of people to find them, to revive them. He knew it was a dangerous plan but it was their only hope in protecting the community

...

Sookie could see him in her dream. The shadow, the pale skin, the red lips, the long blond hair tied in the back by a leather string. She could see flashes of blood and feel the hunger taking over her body. His piercing blue eyes were staring into her very soul and Sookie shivered holding her shotgun tighter. She woke in silence having trained to never scream anymore. She looked at the door of the apartment and listened for a sound, a noise but could only hear her own breathing. She closed her eyes and reached out for other minds in the area but instead was greeted by a void. She knew the only time she could hear a void was when a vampire was close.

She calmed her breathing down wondering where the vampire was and if he or she knew where she was. Sookie knew she was vulnerable in the little apartment but being separated from her group she had no other choice but to hide in the building to wait until Alcide Tara and Sam find her.

On the other side of the door, Eric was standing tall is nostril flaring at the exciting smell. Whatever was on the other side of the door smelled sweet and delicious and he had smelled it a mile away. He was debating whether he should try the door knob or simply kicked the door in. He wasn't sure what or who he would find behind it but the smell was intoxicating. He listened carefully at the breathing which was now much slower. Somehow, it had slowed down its breathing to almost an inaudible sound.

In a flash, Eric decided to kick the door in, which he did at vampire speed. Sookie didn't have time to react; Eric was already behind her sinking his fangs into her neck.

_Review please. It's really appreciated! :)_

_xox_

_Z_


	3. The Drying of Your Tears

**A Better Tomorrow**

Chapter 3 – The drying of your tears

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes at the pain she could feel on her neck. She subconsciously tried to break away but the grip Eric had over her made the attempt futile. She felt the panic hit her like a wave but her legs were frozen in time while Eric was drinking slowly. She could hear the suction on her neck, she could feel him behind her. Her eye lids let a single tear escape onto her cheek. She felt her body slowly giving up while she couldn't possibly think of a way to escape.

As quickly as he came, Eric stopped drinking and laid her on the floor. His movements were soft, almost mother like but Sookie was terrified. She couldn't bare the thought of opening her eyes and see him yet, she slowly did. Her vision was blurry but she could see the piercing blue eyes staring at her.

Eric reached to her cheek and caught the single tear still hanging by a thread. His face was expressionless just like Pam's and Bill's but for a split second, Sookie thought she saw remorse.

Eric's fangs were still visible while he took his wrists to his mouth and bit. He didn't stop looking at Sookie while bringing his bloody wrist to her mouth whispering to drink up.

Sookie didn't really understand what was going on but she instinctively drank the blood from his wrists. As she drank, her vision was clearing up and the life returned to her body and her legs. She brought her hands to his wrists and drank harder. She wasn't sure if it was because her life depended on it or because she enjoyed it but she looked up at him while she kept savouring the red liquid.

Eric firmly removed his wrist after a while. He knew Sookie had enough to live, enough to be back to her old self. She got up while he was walking to the door. Sookie was confused by what had happened. Was he leaving her behind after feeding on her and then exchanging blood?

She reached out to grab his arm and was hit by a single image. The image of Pam standing on her side. She was dressed with an old dress from the 1800's. She looked up at Sookie and smiled.

Sookie gasped at the memory. She knew it wasn't hers.

Eric turned around when she grabbed his arm while he pushed her away.

"You know Pam?" Said Sookie shocked by her discovery. Sookie was used to see images coming from people but it was the first time she had experience it while touching someone.

Eric starred at her. She was now 2 feet away from him because he had pushed her away. He didn't move, he couldn't move. While exiting he had thought of Pam and couldn't understand why this human had seen what he had thought. He had exchanged blood with humans many times before but never did it have this effect.

"She is my child. Bring me to her."

Sookie was staring back at him incapable of breaking the gaze. She had the feeling he could reach into her soul which made her shiver.

Earlier that day, Tara, Alcide, Sam and herself had come to Shreveport with the sole mission of finding other vampires. Alcide was convinced that only vampires could aid the community in surviving. Pam had mention that there was other vampires in the area but never did she say where and who. They took weeks before finding Eric's coffin or at least the door that would bring them to it. It had seemed that the hunt for vampires was physical but also psychological. They had to remember their time in Shreveport before the plague, before the dead corpses, before the empty streets. They had to remember who they would only saw at night, who could potentially be a vampire. It was a work of deduction and suspicion that had brought Sam to remember Eric's bar and its owner; the tall blond man with extremely pale skin but also with a smell of blood. Sam was never really exposed to vampires before the plague but his guess had turned out true and they found the door. Tara had broken the jar of synthetic blood hoping it would make its way to the coffin. She had succeeded.

Without her friends, Sookie knew she was vulnerable and she couldn't understand why he had not drained her. Pam and Bill had warned them that a hungry vampire has no mercy and that they would have to stick together in order to calm and feed them.

Pam and Bill refused to help the group on their quest. Waking up vampires was not part of the orders they had received from their queen and they had every intention of not disobeying her. When Sam mentioned the bar owner, he could tell Pam was interested but he wasn't sure why. No one else had noticed her excitement.

"We have to find my friends first before we can go back to the community" said Sookie without breaking the staring match they had seemed to have entered.

''Why would I help you?"

His voice was ferm with no trace of aggression

"Because I cannot go back to the community without them and because we woke you up"

"I didn't want to be awaken" Eric growled with a low and deep voice.

Sookie frowned holding up her end of the contest. She didn't want to break the contact not knowing what he would do. She needed him to go back to Bon Temps with them. She had seen Bill and Pam fight the deads countless time. Vampires had definitely the edge over them in terms of force and brutality but lacked in numbers which made a crowd of dead corpses a real threat to her and her community.

"You don't know where Pam is, I do. I am not leaving here without my friends and it's going to be dawn very soon so you can either go on your own and find a hole to hide or we can find my friends and be on our way"

Eric was surprised by her authority. She had no idea who he was, what his intentions were. She knew he was a vampire and what he was capable of yet she was defying him in a way he had never seen before.

"Fine. Don't get in the way''

Eric left the little apartment while Sookie was trying to catch up. She felt safer around him but she knew she would have to protect her own self if need be mostly because she didn't trust him. She had just enough time to grab the shotgun that was on the floor before catching up to Eric that was now going down the tiny little stairs of the building. She had no idea how they would find her friends but she knew Sam and Alcide would eventually pick up on their scent. When they reached the empty streets, Sookie had the reflex of clearing both side holding her shotgun ready to shoot if needed.

It was very dark but she could see shadows moving at the distance. She looked at Eric who had already spotted them. He whispered in her ear that it was corpses. She didn't question it as she knew vampires could see better both at a distance but also in the dark.

Eric was standing still beside her. She saw at the corner of her eyes that he was sniffing the air. He looked like a hunter in the middle of the night looking for his prey.

After a couple of minutes, she could tell by his demeanour he had found something. Without a word he started walking at the opposite side of the corpses now walking slowly towards them. Sookie stayed as close as she could manage. Eric was both fast but tall and her little legs had trouble keeping up.

When they reached the end of the street, Sookie heard some groaning and mumbles. Eric had placed his back to the wall of the corner building and was now looking down the other street. Sookie got on her knees and peaked around the corner. It was harder for someone to see a head when the head was closer to the ground so anytime she needed to clear a corner, she would do so from the ground. She stared at the grocery store which was at the end of the street. A crowd of dead corpses had gather around the building and seemed to be trying to get inside. Other corpses were walking towards the building and didn't seem to notice her or Eric.

Eric gently kicked her back to the wall and looked down at her.

"Something interesting must be inside"

His eyes had a predatorial look she had never witnessed before. She saw a glimpse of excitement in his eyes and while he slowly grinned at her, he started running in the direction of the building. Like a kid in a candy store, he ripped walking corpses' heads in a graceful way heading to the grocery store. Sookie swore she could hear him laugh.

_Review please. It's really appreciated! :)_

_xox_

_Z_


	4. Today, We Escape

**A Better Tomorrow**

_Chapter 4- Today, We Escape_

Eric was running along the street taking heads off as he passed by. He could smell a mix of blood, werewolf and shifter in the air which excited him even more. He looked back once to see if Sookie was following him which she was; very slowly. Reaching the crowd of dead corpses, most of them were too busy trying to enter the building and didn't noticed him throwing corpses left and right. Eric made way to the front of the building before jumping on a balcony on the second floor. The door was locked but he kicked it in anyway. He entered the small apartment which was slowly decaying just like the corpses. The wallpaper was ripped while the furniture was lying on the floor barely recognizable from all the breakage.

Eric walked to the door that was giving onto the main corridor of the building. Following the scent of the werewolf, he walked down the stairs into the back of the grocery store. The smell of blood was getting stronger. He first walked through the produce aisle where the smell of the rotting food was almost hiding the werewolf. Once he was passed it, he made way to the front of the store where the deads were still banging on the windows while the doors seemed to be holding up their weight crashing onto it. He could hear their growling and their mumbling. He turned to the back of the main aisle where the bakery display was still standing and pin pointed the smell of the werewolf's blood.

Behind the counter, Alcide was lying on the ground his head resting on Tara's lap. Sam was beside them in the shape of a dog, whining relentlessly while Tara was glaring at him. When she noticed Eric, it was already too late, he had moved behind her grabbing her shoulders. She screamed when Eric lifted her and threw her onto the old oven at the back of the room. Sam immediately ran to her while Eric stared at Alcide.

Tara managed to sit feeling a sharp pain in her neck.

"WAIT" she screamed.

Eric looked up at her and growled. He hated werewolf and just wanted to rip Alcide's throat out. He knew by his smell to which pack he had once belong and Eric had unfinished business with their leader.

"We woke you, please wait" she screamed.

Eric kneeled down ready to choke the life out of Alcide when he heard shotgun shots at the entrance of the grocery store. As he lifted his head towards the door, mostly by instinct, Tara got up; her legs still shaky from the attack. She had recognized the sound of her friend's gun and now feared the worst.

At vampire speed, Eric ran towards the front to see if he could catch a glimpse of Sookie. She was across the street fighting off the deads that had spotted her earlier. She seemed to be in trouble mostly because she was using her shotgun as a baseball bat instead of shooting which indicated that she was out of ammo.

Eric opened the front door and started plowing through the corpses. Some managed to take chunks of his skin from bites that he could barely feel. The smell of the corpses was atrocious but it wasn't covering Sookie's smell which was playing with Eric's focus. Something about her was different and he had some idea of what it might be. He had lived a thousand years and had encountered a lot of different creature but none of them smell quite like Sookie. He knew she was bleeding because her scent was stronger.

When he reached her she was standing up on a big garbage bin pushing off dead corpses as they were trying to come up. Eric noticed her leg and the claw mark on her left calf. He managed to snap the neck of most corpses that was surrounding Sookie quickly having learnt how to take care of them.

When Eric came out of the coffin the day before, he already knew about the virus and what it was doing to humans so it was not shocking news to him when he tried to bite a dead corpse that not only the blood tasted disgusting but it had no nutriment to him. He also knew that the only way to kill these corpses was to separate the brain from the body since it was the organ controlling it. Snapping necks was very effective and Eric enjoyed coming across corpses.

He extended his hand to Sookie in order to help her jump off the garbage bin. She hesitated a second, he saw it in her eyes but then she gently put her hand into his and let him guide her safely on the ground.

"thankx" she managed to mumble before looking at the ground

"Your friends are in the grocery store. It will be sunrise soon, I must take to the ground."

She instinctively looked up at the dark sky. Her too could feel the sun nearby and did not argue. They both headed to the grocery store while Eric took point inside of it as she did not know where her friends were exactly. He guided her towards the bakery counter and found Alcide passed out in Tara's arms.

"He has been bitten, and he is getting worst Sookie, we have to go back!" yelled Tara looking alarmed but also relieved that Sookie was alright.

Sam was still in dog shape and Eric wondered why the coward was not transforming back to human body which would be more useful to all of them. Sam barked at Eric having noticed he was staring at him.

Sookie looked at Sam and then Tara and finally at Eric. "We cannot go back, the sun is coming up, the vampire needs to hide''

Tara was furious and her face did not hide it well. Sookie added "we cannot move him anyways, he is losing too much blood. We need the doctor to come here. Sam, do you think you can go get her? We will wait with Alcide"

Eric heard Alcide faintly growled at the words while Tara got up. " We need water and food if we are going to stay with him here. I think I saw some upstairs. I'll be back. And you vampire boy, find a hole and find us here tonight at sundown''

Tara looked up at Eric and was aggravated by his smirk. He thought it was amusing the way she was talking to him. He could so easily kill her and drain her; after all, he was still hungry. She sighed and walked towards the stairs at the back of the store unknowing of his thoughts. Eric turned his attention to Sookie who was staring at Alcide but seemed lost in her thoughts.

"We risked our lives to find you, you know… Will you be back tonight?"

Eric didn't really understand why humans would go through so much trouble to find him or any other vampires. Did they not understand that they were his food source? Nonetheless, he didn't have to follow them to find Pam, he could simply call her as her maker but something about Sookie was intriguing him. He also wanted to ensure his own safety food wise and since they seemed to be the only humans alive in Shreveport, he would be crazy to not follow them to more humans.

She looked up at him searching for an answer. He simply nodded in response.

"I am Sookie by the way"

He took a moment and coldly replied "Eric" before he left for the front door of the grocery store. He was not about to share his day time death with a group of human strangers and had decided to find a place far from the grocery store. He still had some time left before sunrise so he took to the air while he heard at the distance "nice to meet you"

_Reviews are always welcomed and encouraging! _

_Xox_

_Z_


	5. We Escape

_Hi everyone!_

_Thank you for the support and reviews, it's appreciated and very motivating. Hopefully I am not losing too many people along the way :o)_

**_A Better Tomorrow_**

_Chapter 5 We Escape_

Sookie watched Eric take flight at the entrance of the store. She didn't know why he would not stay with them but then again, Bill and Pam always insisted on being hidden during day time hours. Bill had explained that vampires were vulnerable during the day and Eric had no reason to trust her, Tara or Alcide.

She looked at Alcide who was still passed out. His skin was pale and clammy and he was sweating profusiously being in a state of shock. She sat beside him but stopped dead in her tracks. She had felt a shooting pain coming from her leg. She didnt want to take a look scared of what she would find. She knew she had not been bitten so she would not turned into one of those corpses but she could feel the wound getting infected and promised herself to take care of it when she would get back in Bon Temps. She didn't need to worry anyone with it. She managed to sat down without anymore pain and settled Alcide head on her lap. She mechanically started massaging it letting his hair pass between her fingers. She sighed and silently prayed that Alcide was going to make it. He had led the community to survival and she couldn't imagine it without him.

Tara came in carrying a container full of water, some snacks and a towel. She silently sat beside Alcide and lifted the jacket that was lying on his lap. The big gaping hole on his thigh looked infected which Tara pointed out.

"The infection is spreading out. I don't know how long he has Sook"

Sookie looked at her friend and saw the concern in her eyes. "There is not much we can do other than to attend the wound and pray for Sam to come back as soon as he can with the doctor. I am not sure if she had any of the required herbs left since Debbie had the infection. We were supposed to go for a run once we came back from this one remember…"

Couple months ago, Alcide's girlfriend Debbie, who was also a werewolf, had been attacked by a horde of corpses and was infected by the virus. The virus had a different effect on the supernatural. Sookie knew it had none on vampires other than not providing the food they required but they had witnessed for the first time how it affected a werewolf. At first, the infection slowly spread from the entry wound; the arm in Debbie's case. The wound turned greenish blue slowly reaching her neck while leaving her unconscious for a couple of days. But the more the infection spread, the more aggressive Debbie became. She first awakened attacking the nurse that was attending to her. When Alcide and Marcus forced her down to tie her up, she was clawing them, cursing them as if possessed by a demon of some kind. Once she was safely restrained, she got worst, threating to kill them all and slowly forgetting who she was and where she was. Dr. Lugwig had ordered amputation of the source of the infection while she gathered up herbs she thought could save Debbie. After many failed attempts, an amputated arm and a long list of different ingredients both magical and natural, Debbie was cured of the infection and came back to her senses although she was never the same.

Tara removed all clothes that was surrounding Alcide's wound and after cleaning it with water and alcohol she had found upstairs, she used the towel to tie a knot right on the wound to prevent further bleeding. "we need to keep pressure so he doesn't bleed out. It's still early in the infection, I am sure the doctor can save him"

Sookie agreed with a nodded while she kept her mechanical massage. She was exhausted from the night and wondered if she could sleep for a little bit

"is it safe here? Maybe we should check the door in case more corpses come along?"

Tara got up in silence and walked to the door to check it. Making sure it was locked and pushing a desk in front of it, she was confident that unless they make too much noise, they would be left alone for a while. She came back to find Sookie asleep still holding Alcide's head on her lap.

Sookie opened her eyes slowly. Both Tara and Alcide were asleep beside her. She got up in silence and looked in the store front's direction. She could tell it was later in the day by how much sun light was coming through the windows. There was still no sign of corpses or Sam and the doctor. She grabbed one of the snacks Tara had brought earlier and quietly ate while staring at her friend. Tara was a fighter and Sookie was proud to have her by her side. She had saved her life countless time and her friendship was invaluable. She could hear some of Tara's thoughts slowly forming in her head but she quickly dismissed them putting her shields back up. It was always exhausting to have them up but she couldn't afford being distracted by other's thoughts or fears.

After her snack, Sookie got up and decided to head upstairs to look out the balcony she had spotted coming in. Once she reached it, it was easier for her to assess the time of day. The sun was slowly coming down which meant Sam was probably in Bon temps and maybe even on his way back to the grocery store. She looked down the empty street which was paved with truly dead corpses from their altercation with Eric. She could smell them from where she was standing but she was accustomed to the putrid odour. She spotted a clothing store down the road where the front display case seemed to be intact. It wasn't part of their excursion to bring back clothing but she made a mental note of it. She wouldn't be against having a new pair of jeans and maybe some t-shirts.

The sun was rapidly setting and it wasn't long until Sookie couldn't see it anymore. She looked down the street one more time in Bon Temps' direction hopeful that she could catch a glimpse of Sam or the doctor without success. She was afraid the doctor didn't have the right ingredients and was the cause of their delay.

Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't notice the shadow slowly walking down the street until something shiny caught the moon light which was slowly coming up illuminating the street. Eric was casually walking towards her. He had had time to change into different clothing which made Sookie wondered where exactly he stayed during the day. He was wearing a pair of black pants and a black t-shirt but it is the sword tied around his waist that had caught her eye.

Once he reached her building, he jumped high enough to land on the balcony where she was standing. She didn't look at him right away but instead she looked at the sword. It seemed really old, and the handle was wrapped in leather. She wondered if it was made out of silver knowing that Bill had an aversion to it and was not able to handle silver without being burnt. After starring at it for a while she regain consciousness that she wasn't being very polite with him so she looked up ready to apologize but the apology died in her throat when her eyes met his.

He too was staring at her. She couldn't read any expression on his face which she was accustomed to because of Bill and Pam. Vampires never really showed any feelings. She couldn't help but blush and look away with a weak attempt to make conversation.

"Where did you find that sword?" she asked.

"It belonged to my father" he replied without much help to carry the conversation.

" Is it silver?"

"Yes"

"I thought vampires couldn't handle silver?"

"The handle is wrapped in leather" he simply explained. Sookie looked up at him and smiled. Clearly he did not understand that she was trying to make conversation or maybe he didn't care but she kept on going.

"The doctor is not here yet"

"My child is on her way"

Sookie frowned at the remark. She didn't understand how he would know that and Eric noticed the question marks in her eyes but before she could ask anything, something caught her attention inside the grocery store.

"They are here" Eric stated following Sookie who was already on her way back to the bakery counter.

_Thank you for reading :o)_

_Xox_

_Z_


	6. Pack

_**A Better Tomorrow**_

_Chapter 6 Pack_

Eric followed Sookie down to the bakery knowing that his child had arrived and that she wasn't alone. She was standing in front of Sookie when she looked up at him with a smirk on her lips.

"Master" she whispered but Eric could clearly hear her.

He approached them slowly and stood right beside Sookie who was looking at Sam and the doctor. They were already busy trying to save Alcide. Sookie stepped in Alcide's direction touching Eric's arm in the process which made her stopped in her tracks. Eric looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. She had this look on her face, the same from yesterday when he had grabbed her and she had seen a memory of his; Pam. He saw before his eyes another memory play out. This time it wasn't about Pam but about his v iking family. The kitchen table, the meal his mom had prepared, his dad coming in with the sword on his hip and then the fire and the screams.

Eric grabbed Sookie by the arm trying to break the connection that was making this memory sharing possible as if a simple touch could do it but instead it intensified it and made it more vivid. As fast as it came, the memory stopped its course and Sookie just stood beside him in shock. Eric knew the sharing of the blood had some side effects but never such strong ones.

" What's wrong?" asked Pam in old Swedish.

Eric simply growled and walked towards the front door before Sookie could say anything. Pam followed him instructing Sookie to stay where she was leaving her with the terror she just had witnessed.

Once they were outside, Eric hugged his child.

"it is good to see you Pam"

"Its been lonely here since you have taken to the ground Eric."

"You will have to bring me up to speed with our new reality…"

"Of course, the bar is gone"

"I have noticed'

"and most humans, makes feeding complicated"

"So I have seen and experienced"

"there is that fake crap we can drink if we are desperate since feeding in the community is rare"

"Where Sookie comes from? You live with them?"

"Indeed, and Bill Compton, it is a nice place, you will like it"

"why the sarcasm?"

"I feel we have regressed to the 1800s"

"Lovely"

"what happened back there?"

" I am not too sure, in my thousands of years of blood sharing, I have never shared memories with a human before"

"I am not so sure Sookie is human"

"Meaning?

"Well, she has a tendency of hearing people's thoughts. Not vampires, but everyone else's and makes life in bon Temps quite entertaining."

Eric did not respond. Pam didn't know what Sookie was but if she could truly hear people's thoughts, he had a vague idea of what that could be.

"Have you heard back from our queen? Is there any progress in finding a cure to this virus?" he asked bluntly obviously changing subject.

" The lastest news I have heard was 3 months ago. As per procedures, if in another 3 months we do not hear back, we will have to go and try to find her ourselves. The last news was not great. It seems that the virus is constantly mutating."

"well it is attacking wolves now"

"yes, and the result is not very pretty although I would enjoy putting the dogs down myself but the community is so attached to the pack"

"let's go back inside, it isn't safe here"

Pam had heard it too, noises coming from the main street. It seems that another horde of undead was slowly walking towards them. They both headed back inside and once they reached the group, they found them packing up.

"he can be move now" had declared Dr Ludwig. "Nice to see you again Eric. "

Eric nodded in her direction.

Once they were all ready to go, Pam signaled to them to be quiet.

"Corpses, outside, back door now" she whispered to Sam who gathered everyone else.

Eric wondered why Pam would not simply go to the front door and kill all the corpses. She was a skilled fighter and would normally not doubt herself. As if she had heard his thoughts she simply stated

"Killing the corpses can attract more corpses but also unwanted visitors. I had to kill 2 vampires the other day because they wanted to feed on some members of the community."

"You killed vampires to protect humans?"

"No Master, I killed vampires to protect my food source which is now yours"

Eric knew he would have to adjust to this new life style which had nothing to do with any of his past thousands of years. He found himself lucky that Pam was instructed to stay behind from their queen although she didn't seem to really enjoy life, or death, as much as she used to. For a moment she looked worn out to him. Vampires always looked good but a limited source of food would do that to any vampires that age.

The group reached the end of Shreveport without too much hassle. There was the odd corpse here and there but nothing Eric or Pam couldn't handle. The walk to Bon temps was in silence. No one was addressing each other. Tara, Pam and Sam were transporting Alcide while Sookie stayed back along Eric side. Dr Ludwig had left in another direction.

No one really knew where she lived. They only knew how to contact her which was a very simple process. They had to burn a specific spice they could find everywhere around Bon Temps and light a candle at a window. Any window.

Somewhere half way, Sookie broke the silence. She was whispering so they others couldn't hear her.

" Was it your family I saw Eric?"

Eric didn't respond right away. Instead, he simply kept walking at her side looking straight ahead but after a minute he quietly said yes.

"I am sorry for your loss" she answered stroking his arm in a friendly gesture which she stopped right away when she realized what she was doing.

"It was a long time ago" Eric's tone was the same. He was a master at hiding his true feelings. Most vampires were but Eric had a thousand year to perfect the art

"Time doesn't always heal everything"

Eric didn't respond to her. He wasn't sure why this human was addressing him in such matter but then again the world had changed. She was being overly friendly and Eric was simply not used to it.

Sookie did not address him again until they reached Bon temps which was in due time as the sun was near.

"we have a ward protecting the community. You should be fine if you do not wish us any harm" Sookie explained while they past the fence of objects. As they approach the community, Eric wondered what would happen if he actually had bad intentions. He was also wondering what really qualified as bad intentions. He saw humans as food; something most would consider bad.

He reached the main street with the group without any problems. He guessed that the ward had judged him with good intentions which made him laugh a little. He wondered what kind of witches had cast the spell.

"Eric and I need to take to the ground, we will see you this evening" Pam told Sam and Alcide who was more and more alert throughout the journey but just couldn't walk on his own.

"Do you need to feed?" Alcide asked both Pam and Eric "I don't think you have fed in the past few days"

" I will have true blood for tonight" Pam answered while looking up at Eric

"I do not need to feed at the moment" Eric replied following Pam who had already started walking towards an unknown location to the others. Since Eric was really old, he did not need to feed as frequently as other vampires which would be an asset in these times.

"Goodnight!" said Sookie waving at them "or should I say morning!"

"Bye Sookie" plainly replied Pam who sounded a little annoyed which Eric found funny.

Pam guided Eric to the woods surrounding Bon Temps. After a couple of minutes of walking she used vampire speed to reach a small lake. Eric had no problem following her to the entrance of an underground cave. The entrance was a trapped door on the ground covered with leaves as camouflage and by judging the direction the room was taking; the cave was situated directly under the lake.

"Our queen built these after a couple of months to keep communication with all vampires, we used this radio" Pam pointed to a radio on an old desk in one of the room they were passing by. They walked down a long hallway lit by torches. It reminded Eric of the Middle Ages which he never really liked in the first place. Pam was too young to know that time but he remembered it like it was yesterday.

They finally reached a bigger room lit by a fireplace where Bill was sitting lost in his own thoughts. He looked up at Pam and Eric and stood up right away

"Eric, they found you" he exclaimed as Eric walked around the room examining it

"indeed, you both have a lot of explaining to do, I will expect a full debrief when we rise tonight"

As they both agreed, Pam pointed out to a coffin in the back of the room for Eric while she sat in the one beside it. Bill took one at the opposite of the room. There were enough coffins in the room for at least another 5 vampires. Eric laid in his new home as the sun took them away in a dreamless state.

_Thank you for reading!_

_xox_

_Z_


	7. And Get Dressed

**_A Better Tomorrow_**

_Chapter 7- And Get Dressed_

Sookie slowly opened her eyes to look out the window. She could see from her bed that the sun was still very high in the sky. She had trouble finding sleep nowadays. She remembered the time where she needed at least 8 hours of sleep in order to function during the day. It seemed like such a long time ago. Her body had slowly got used to her getting maybe 3-4 hours of sleep and had remarkably well adjusted. She always thought most adult needed 7-8 hours but clearly most people in the community could perfectly function on a lot less.

As she was stretching, she remembered she had a night watch this evening and was secretly hoping that the vampires would keep her company. She had always enjoyed Bill and Pam's company mainly because she didn't had to keep her shield up for them, she just couldn't hear their thoughts. It was a blessing for her, her shields were demanding and there was nothing enjoyable in sharing people's fears and obsession in these dark times.

Sookie got up and took off her jeans she was wearing as she was due for some laundry. Most people were used to sleep in clothing in case of emergency but she always had missed her pyjamas. Taking off her shirt and her bra, she threw them in a box she had been using as a laundry hamper and grabbed a pair of clean jeans, some underwear, a bra, a tank top and a hoodie. She took a minute in front of her closet to admire a summer dress that was hanging in the corner. The dress was yellow with baby blue polkadot and Sookie day dream of the day she bought it before the plague. Dreams like this were fuel for people in the community; dreams of better days and hopes that one day they would get to enjoy them again.

Sookie grabbed the box full of dirty clothing and headed outside. The community had built a laundry facility in the corner store. It consisted of a big container full of rain water that had been collected from the roof and laundry detergent. Once a week the water was replaced with what was collected on the roof. If, for a week they had no rain, they would simply not replace it as they would never use drinkable water. That kind of water was gathered from a spring source outside the community and was quite a hassle to bring back to the main street every other days.

As she reached the facility, she was greeted by Alcide and Sam who were sitting at a table just outside drinking instant coffee. They had an old gramophone which was playing some Big band music from the 50s. It always cheered Sookie up to hear the sound coming out of the machine.

" Good afternoon Sook!" said Sam with a big smile as Alcide nodded in her direction.

"Good afternoon! I am glad to see you are feeling better Alcide" Sookie replied dropping the box on the floor as it was getting heavy and her leg was hurting.

"Dr Ludwig does great work. The wound is completely healed." Said Alcide indicating to Sookie to sit beside them.

As she sat down, Sam poured her a coffee. She could hear him think about her. She tried to brush off the thoughts and focus on her coffee which she drank slowly enjoying every sip. Sam was staring at her with a puzzled look on his face which made Sookie uncomfortable. After a long silence between the three, Sam decided to speak up.

"Why do I smell blood on you Sookie?"

" I don't know… Probably just my dirty clothing"

"I smell your blood…"

" So? It's probably dried up blood. Mind your own business."

Sookie got up hoping that the little outburst would indicate to Sam and Alcide that it was the time of the month and nothing to worry about. She knew she was still bleeding from her leg wound but she didn't want to worry them. A part of her was also afraid of what they might do to her; thinking of what had happened to Debbie. She knew what the mob mentality could do and despite the fact that she was not bitten, just scratched, didn't guarantee the community would not lose it and order amputation of her leg. She couldn't be too careful and as much as she loved and trusted her friends, she had learnt that the only one she could be sure would never fail her was herself.

She finished her laundry and headed back to her room to hang it to dry. She then locked her door and sat on her bed to look at her leg. It was time to clean it and change the bandages but she also wanted to make sure it was not getting worst since it felt tenderer today than it had felt the day before. When she finished unwrapping it, she was mortified to find the wound full of yellow puss. She hadn't been bitten but it didn't prevent an infection either.

She managed to clean off most of the dried up blood in order to take a better look. The claw marks were swollen and red. Some spots were discoloured to a deep purple and she didn't like the look of it at all. She needed to find some anti-biotic fast and without anyone noticing.

As she was walking down the main street towards the small infirmary they had built which was located very close to the corner store, Tara ran up to her.

"Hey Sook! I have to go pick some herbs for the doc, we are short staff because Arlene and Dawn are sick, can you come? We will be back before the night shift"

Sookie hesitated for a minute but couldn't find any excuse to get her out of it.

" Sure! Let's go" she said with a forced smile thinking of her leg and how tender it was.

She spent the rest of the afternoon with Tara picking up all the herbs they had ran out of. Tara asked Sookie about Eric and if she trusted him. Sookie had replied that she had no reason not to and that he was Pam's maker. They both didn't know nor understood what that meant. All they knew was that he had been the one who turned her and that she had seemed happy to see him the day before. Sookie had mentioned to Tara that they could always ask Bill if he knew Eric and what his feelings on the matter were. They had known him longer and had spent countless night on the night's watch in his company and had grown to deeply trust him and his instincts.

When the sun started coming down, Tara and Sookie headed back to the main street where Sookie grabbed an AR15 with a couple of magazines (NOT CLIP never ever say clips. They are magazines. Sorry one of my pet peeves) and walked to the tower where she would spent her night. As she walked towards it, Alcide stopped her and asked her to walk the wall instead of the tower as they were still short staff. Sookie wasn't really please with it since her leg was killing her and walking back and forth would most likely make her leg worst but she accepted with a smile.

"who am I walking with?" she asked, knowing that walking duties were never alone.

" Still trying to figure that out. Take the field wall, the tower can cover you if there is anything."

She could hear Alcide worry in his head about her safety but also how he couldn't be the one walking with her as he had to take care of Debbie. She had noticed through random thoughts of his how he was starting to slowly distance himself from Debbie and was staying with her because she was sick. He couldn't imagine leaving someone during such a hard time in their life. Sookie would always block the rest of the thoughts as she thought these were definitely way too intimate and not her business.

So Sookie headed to the wall across the field alone still hoping a vampire would join her but she was trying not to get her hopes up as the field wall was the easiest and definitely did not need two people to walk it.

After an hour walking back and forth sometimes singing, sometimes whistling, Sookie was getting bored. She could tell there were no corpses for miles and felt completely useless. Her leg seemed to be getting worst and she decided to take a peak. She walked towards one of the end of the wall where she knew the tower couldn't see her even with a sniper scope and put her riffle down on the ground before pulling up her pants. She then slowly unwrapped it.

It was indeed getting worst, the skin under the claw marks was turning blue and Sookie did not like the look of it. After cursing for a couple of minutes, Sookie contemplated the idea of telling Alcide in secret. Maybe he would keep it to himself and help her get the anti-biotics she desperately needed.

"You are still bleeding"

Sookie jumped in silence at the remark. She quickly turned to be face to face with Eric looking down at her. She didn't reply right away but instead sat down and went back to looking at her wound.

"It's really infected. I just need anti-biotics no one needs to know"

"do you have any?"

"in the infirmary"

"what are you waiting for?"

"the perfect time so no one sees me, I don't need the community freak out on me and think I'm infected with the virus"

"you are not"

"I know that but have you ever heard of mob mentality?"

"I was there when Marie Antoinette lost her head yes."

Sookie looked at him surprised by his reply. She always forgot that vampires were old and had seen a lot more than she would ever see.

"fair enough" she added

" You don't have long before you cannot walk anymore"

"and how would you know this Dr. Eric?"

"I am a vampire, I can smell the decay on you, I can hear your accelerated heart beat and I can feel your fever."

Sookie took a deep breath and got back up as Eric extended his hand to help her. Once she was standing up in front of him, she grabbed her AR15 and started walking in the other direction to resume her night watch.

"well there isn't much I can do you know" she said when she heard Eric follow her

"I can help you but it will cost you"

She stopped walking suddenly and turned around to face him. She wasn't sure how he could help her and what exactly it would cost her but she was curious to hear his proposition.

"Money isn't worth anything anymore…"

"who said anything about money?"

She glared at him waiting for him to explain what he had in mind.

" I'll give you my blood if you give me yours" he stated smirking

"Excuse me? What would I do with your blood?"

Eric was staring at her emotionless. She didn't understand why he would offer her his blood and what exactly she was supposed to do with it.

"Our blood heals most injuries and diseases in humans, except the plague of course. Did Pam and Bill failed to mention it?"

Sookie was baffled by what she was being told. The community had 2 vampires at their disposition for quite a long time now and never ever did they offer their blood to heal wounds. She thought back of the people they had lost and how many of them Bill or Pam could have saved. She was disgusted by the thought.

"why do you want my blood?"

Sookie felt stupid for asking. He wanted to feed and he probably knew he would not feed on humans here in the community. Alcide allowed Pam and Bill to sometime drink human blood which was donated by some members but never could they feed directly at the source.

Eric replied to her question with a smirk. Sookie rolled her eyes.

"How do I know you are not trying to trick me?"

"you don't, you will have to trust me"

Sookie took a couple of minutes to think about it. She started walking again in case someone at the tower was looking for her.

"And how do we do that?"

Eric ran at vampire speed in front of her which made her bumped into him having not realized what he had done. He quickly bit his wrist and offered it to her.

"Ladies first"

_Thank you for reading_

_Xox_

_Z_


	8. Breathe

**A Better Tomorrow**

_Chapter 8- Breath_

Eric would of held his breath if he had one as he was offering his wrist to Sookie. She hesitated for a minute but slowly brought her lips to the wound before it closed completely. At first she only seemed to be dipping her lips into the warm liquid but after one small sip, she started drinking more rapidly the suctions becoming more aggressive. Eric closed his eyes enjoying the moment. For a vampire, feeding was not only necessary but sexual and when a human fed on them, it was near orgasmic. As Sookie drank, her heart accelerated. Eric could hear it beat in her chest; he could feel her body temperature coming back to normal. Her smell was intoxicating him and as he tried to keep control, Sookie brought her hands to his wrist as if she could stop him if he tried to pull away. She looked up at him without breaking the connection between her lips and his wrists. Her body was naturally drawn to Eric and without her noticing, she was getting closer and closer to him. He tried not to break the eye connection they had but his gaze moved down to her nose and then her lips full of blood. There was something incredibly sexy about her and Eric had trouble controlling himself. As he wondered what was so special about Sookie, her neck seemed to cry out for his attention. He could see her pulse under her delicate skin and when she moaned from the pleasure of drinking his blood, Eric lost control and plunged his fangs in her neck.

Sookie did not break from his wrists but instead moaned louder as her body was searching for Eric's.

It took him a couple of minutes to realize what was happening and in an effort to not drain her despite the fact she was drinking his blood at the same time, Eric retracted his fangs out of her neck without breaking the seal between his lips and her soft skin. She too stopped drinking from his wrists without pulling away. She had her eyes closed and Eric could hear her heart beat slowing down. After a minute in silence, Eric sighed and pulled away. He wanted to apologize for losing control but he did not want to show weakness to a human.

Sookie was standing in from of him her eyes still closed. She opened them slowly while taking a deep breath and stared at him as he was turning around. He then heard her look at her leg. He knew she wouldn't even have scars left from her wound. As he was walking away, he heard her catch up behind him.

" it worked!"

"Of course it did, why would I lie about it"

"to feed on me.."

"I could feed on you without lying to you if I wanted to"

"The community would kill you"

" yes from their tower they could definitely kill me"

He was amused on how little she knew about vampires. Bill and Pam were young vampires and needed to feed more often which explained why they lived within this human community. Eric knew they were just protecting a personal food supply but for him, as he was older, he did not need to feed so often therefore did not require a community of humans. To an extent, he could just find one human and as long as that human was alive, he would have no problem surviving. He also knew from the briefing Pam and Bill had given him that they were ordered by the queen to protect some members of this community. They were also told not to give their blood to any of them as vampires could not afford sharing such precious information with humans. If the community or any other humans knew what their blood could do, they would start hunting them down for it and in the event they would catch one of them, they would probably use them as their personal infirmary.

" why did you help me then?"

"do you need a reason for everything?"

"yes, we all have our reasons"

"indeed and I do not wish to share it with you"

Eric turned around to face Sookie. He knew the queen had ordered not to tell humans about their blood and although he did not receive that order himself, he did not want to disappoint his queen so he had decided he would glamour Sookie to oblivion. She had seemed deeply upset by the revelation and Eric did not want her to start asking too many questions. So as he stared at her pretty blue eyes, he stood right in front of her. His chest against hers; she did not break the connection but instead seemed lost in his eyes. With a very soft tone, Eric whispered.

"Sookie, you will not remember any of this" but before he could add anything she looked away frowning.

"why on earth would I want to forget what happened. Imagine! The whole community could be cured of everything with just a drink of your blood! I'm furious Bill and Pam never told us… we lost so many people to stupid things like pneumonia which they could have cured with one drop of blood!"

She did not move away from him but was looking in a different direction. Eric grabbed her chin and gently made her look at him right in his eyes. He had never failed to glamour anyone before. As he was staring at her, she rolled her eyes

"why are you looking at me like that!?"

Eric growled in frustration

"what are you!?" he said.

Sookie looked shock by the question. It wasn't the first time someone was asking her that.

"What do you mean? I am Sookie Stackhouse"

Eric growled louder and clenched his fits. He was growing impatient with her and now that she wasn't bleeding anymore, her sense was not as strong which meant, Eric had better control of himself.

" You cannot be human" he simply said

She then pulled away and raised her gun at his head. He could tell her knees were shaky.

"Don't move or I shoot"

Eric laughed and at vampire speed took the gun away from Sookie throwing it out of her reach. He then grabbed Sookie by one arm being careful not to break it. Her eyes were terrified and were looking everywhere as if she was trying to figure out a way to break away. She then looked at him with fear.

"are you gonna kill me?"

The words completely petrified Eric. He had no intention of hurting her in any way yet she thought otherwise. He did not want her to be afraid of him, on the contrary, he wanted her to trust him. He took a second to assess himself. He was growling, he was holding her by one arm and his other fits was clenched. He could see why she was scared. He let go of her arm.

"no"

Sookie briefly looked at her gun which was lying not too far from her. She did not attempt to get it although Eric knew she was thinking about it

"I do not wish you harm Sookie otherwise why would I heal you and then kill you?

She seemed to calm down at the words. They stared at each other in silence. Eric wanted to apologize once again. Something was pulling him to her, something was making him out of control in her presence and without fully understanding it, Eric knew she attracted him in many levels. He wanted to understand what was so special about her but did not know how to approach it. He was never one for communication in the first place and now in the world they lived in, it was becoming clear to him that vampires did not have the edge. Humans were dying which meant his kind would too.

Eric heard noises coming from the field and looked in the direction of it. An animal, most likely a dog was running towards them.

"we have company"

Sookie frowned at Eric and then she too heard the dog running towards them. The smell of a shifter then hit Eric like a ton of bricks. He did not want to leave Sookie but also did not want to stay in the presence of a shifter. So as he took flight, he said

"We shall continue this lovely conversation in private some other time"

He did not look back knowing that Sookie was safe behind the wall. Once, he reached the lake, he called Pam realizing she wasn't near. She took a couple of minutes but finally landed at his side.

"Yes master?"

"What exactly is Sookie? I cannot glamour her"

"Oh I forgot to warn you of that."

Eric looked at her child furious by the omission.

"I am sorry! There is just so much information to share... We do not know what she is. All I know is that she smells way too good, can hear people's thoughts and cannot be glamoured. The queen wanted us to keep an eye on her"

"We exchanged blood for the second time today. I should know where she is at all time"

"You fed on her!?"

Eric looked down at his child with the coldest look he could manage.

"I will feed on whomever I want. " Eric turned the other way to see Bill emerge from the cave.

"The queen summons you Eric" Bill said as he walked in their direction

"we haven't heard from her in 3 months and now that Eric is awake, she wants to see us?"

Pam didn't seem too keen on going to see the queen but she had little choice.

" We will leave tomorrow when we rise." Declared Eric "do you need to join us Bill or is it just me that is summoned?:

" I have orders to stay behind to protect Bon Temps while you are gone."

"Very well"

"Did I hear you say you fed on Sookie earlier?" Bill asked

"It is none of your business Bill"

Eric was showing his fangs which made Bill look down. Bill did not like Eric but he wasn't stupid enough to provoke him considering the years Eric had over him. Bill chose to not argue and looked at Pam

"You will need to feed before you leave. Alcide owes us some human blood from the past few weeks. I can ask him to give you my share as well"

"How generous of you Bill" Pam stated as she headed to the community with Eric. Bill followed them silently promising himself to check on Sookie before sun rise.


	9. there is such a chill

**A Better Tomorrow**

_Chapter 9 There Is Such A Chill_

When Sookie turned back to face Eric again, he was already gone and did not look back. He had declared that they would continue their discussion some other time which Sookie wasn't a fan of. Not only patience was not her strongest virtue but she wanted to understand Eric's intention. A part of her wanted to be closer to him but another part was afraid of him. He had managed to scare her a couple times already never knowing if her life would abruptly end in his hands.

She grabbed her shotgun that was still lying on the ground thinking that it was completely useless against vampires and their speed. The running noises were getting closer and closer and she managed to identify them as being 'dogs-ish''. Within minutes, Sam reached her still in his dog form. She always wondered why he was in that shape most the time but never asked.

"So you are keeping me company tonight then?"

Sam barked twice which meant yes in his doggy talk. He then approached her previously hurt leg and sniffed it with a lot of interest. After a while, he started growling and barking at her.

"What's your problem Sam?"

Sam kept growling

"You can smell Eric can you?"

Sam barked twice. There was no point in lying to him since his sense of smell was a lot better than most humans.

"So what's your problem?"

She knew she was only supposed to ask questions that required a yes or no answer but Sam was starting to upset her. She resumed her walk towards the opposite end of the wall followed by Sam closely who did not stop growling.

"You know this would be a lot easier if you would just stay in human shape"

Sam replied with one bark. Sookie sighed.

"So I guess you don't like him?"

One bark

"Fine whatever it's not like I need your permission"

Dog crying

"Sam Merlotte, why don't you go put on some clothes and come back so we can have a discussion?"

One bark

Sookie sighed and did not argue. Sam probably had really good reason to mainly be a dog all the time and at the moment, she didn't really care.

The night went by very slowly. Sookie had shot only a couple of corpses that were walking very slowly towards the wall. Strangely, in the past few weeks, there was less corpses coming their way and Sookie wondered why. Did the corpses eventually stopped walking? Or did they had all migrate somewhere away from Bon temps. Somehow the thought did not bring her comfort. When the 2 men who were taking over her guard duty reached her, she indicated to them where she had killed the corpses. They would have to tell the next guards in the morning so the corpses could be clean out and burnt away. She left them thanking them for taking over.

When she reached the main street, Sam barked once as in to say goodbye and left Sookie who was still walking down the main street towards the community kitchen. She was starving after all the walking she had done.

As she was preparing herself a peanut butter and jam sandwich on a loaf of bread her grandmother had made, she heard Bill coming in. He always made sure she knew when he was around in order to not scare her.

She took a bite of her sandwich promising herself to thank her grandmother for the delicious bread and smiled at Bill.

"Good evening darling" he said

"Hi Bill! I am just finishing up my sandwich and I was going to bed"

Sookie was lying. She had no intention of going to bed but she didn't want to have a conversation with Bill at the moment. She had always enjoyed his company since he had joined the community. Around him she could be herself, she did not need her shields up. It was pure silence and she loved it. At first their relationship had been of friendship. Bill was always so polite and attentive, but the more time she spent with him, the more attached she became. At first she rejected the idea of being with a vampire or with anyone for that matter. She always thought in the world they lived in, being attached to someone was setting yourself up for disappointment and heartaches. She already had her grandmother and her bother to worry about, she did not wish to have a lover on top of it but after long discussion with her grandmother, she had realized that Bill was really important to her and that there was no need for her to deny herself happiness. So one evening, under a full moon in the guard tower, she had leaned in to kiss him only to be met with rejection. Bill had pushed her away apologizing to have given her the wrong idea. At first, Sookie was raging, she never had taken rejection easily and to have exposed herself like this infuriated her but then she saw the sadness in his eyes. She saw the suffering which troubled her deeply. His body was doing the exact opposite of what his eyes were saying.

They were days without talking to each other. Sookie couldn't understand the rejection and she was hurt but one evening, in the same tower, during her guard duty, Bill joined her in silence. It took a while for Bill to start making conversation and Sookie to let him. They pretended nothing had happened which was awkward but she was just happy he was around her. Weeks later, they never mention that night again, Sookie ignored her deception and feelings for Bill and learned to just accept him being there as a friend and not a lover.

But tonight, she did not wish his company. She wasn't sure why exactly but since she had met Eric, things were different for her. She felt different. It was the first time since the incident, she did not want to be with him and it was the first time she didn't feel the pinch in her heart when he called her darling.

"It's awfully early for bed time" he had whispered

"I am tired that is all. I had guard duty tonight and…"

"You have had vampire blood, you shouldn't be tired"

Sookie looked at him horrified as if he had just walked in on her and some lover.

"I can smell him on you darling"

Sookie felt the heat coming to her cheeks as she was turning bright red.

"Bill Compton, this is none of your business"

Bill was staring at her as she finished her sandwich.

"Eric is dangerous Sookie. You should not trust him"

Sookie felt the rage boiling up. Bill was acting like a jealous boyfriend which aggravated her feelings.

"Like I said, none of your business Bill"

She threw her plate in the sink, washed it quickly and walked towards the door determined to not have this discussion.

"Sookie please, hear me out. You do not know him as I do"

"People change"

"Not Eric"

"I don't want to hear it Bill. I am being careful"

"Letting him feed on you is not what I consider being prudent"

She turned around as her inner kettle had reached its boiling point.

"Excuse me? You have no right to talk to me this way Bill. I will see and be with whomever I want and I certainly do not need your permission"

Bill had run at vampire speed right behind her which was blocking her access to the exit door.

"Sookie, please, I only wish to protect you"

"Protect me? From what! Eric is a perfect gentleman and has treated me like a lady so I really do not see the problem here. Please move out of my way so I can go to bed"

"He is far from a gentleman and I can tell when you are lying to me... He is using you Sookie"

"For what exactly ?"

"Only him knows but Eric uses people and vampires. That's what he does."

Bill sounded angry showing Sookie a side of him she had not witnessed before. Bill showed more emotions then Pam and Eric but anger was never one of them. She sighed loudly resigning herself to at least let him explain himself. She loved Bill and trusted him. He seemed to relax after a few minutes of staring at each other and then she saw it again, the pain in his eyes. She moved closer to him as he was moving away from her which frustrated her even more. She didn't have time to say anything she saw the blue eyes staring at her over Bill's shoulder.

"Am I interrupting?" Eric asked with his signature smirk.

Bill did not stop looking at Sookie and simply answered with a cold no.

_Thank you for reading!_

_xox _

_Z_


	10. Such a Chill

_In this chapter we learn how the queen found out Eric was awake and I am bringing another important character into play which is from the TV show and not the book._

**_A Better Tomorrow_**

_Chapter 10- Such a Chill_

Eric could hear Sookie's accelerated heartbeat. She was upset by what Bill had been telling her and it was unfortunate that he didn't get to hear the conversation but judging by the coldness of Bill's ''no'', it would have been quite entertaining. Eric pushed Bill out of the way and entered the building. Sookie followed him with her eyes but went back to looking at Bill. Something in her eyes had changed while looking at him and her heart seemed to be beating even faster.

"How come you never told us vampire blood had healing properties Bill?" she asked in an angered voice.

Bill glanced over at Eric who once again was smirking at him. He was enjoying the scene. Bill did not answer her right away but instead let an awkward silence filled the room. Sookie grew impatience and sighed heavily awaiting his answer.

"You are a selfish coward Bill Compton" she had declared turning her back to him to face Eric.

"It is not what it seems, Sookie. I did not have a choice in the matter"

"We always have a choice"

She looked up at Eric as in she was looking for answers in his icy blue eyes.

"Bill, I would like a moment alone with miss Stackhouse before I leave"

Sookie looked confused for a moment while Bill was staring at Eric.

"Now Compton"

Eric watched Bill leaving them and did not miss the pain that was in his eyes when he looked up at Sookie. It was obvious to him that these 2 had a history together and Eric promised himself he would interrogate Bill at the first occasion he would come upon.

"You are leaving?" Sookie asked

"I have been summoned by the queen" Eric answered

"How long will you be gone for?"

"That depends on our queen"

Sookie looked disappointed which made Eric smile. Was she already getting attached?

"Do you know why she has summoned you?"

"No I do not"

Eric made one step towards Sookie while raising the back of his hand slowly to her cheek. She closed her eyes while its back caressed her cheek gently.

"I will be back as soon as I can"

Sookie brought her own hand to his and while smiling she stated she wasn't worried. When she leaned towards him, Eric could feel her desire. He too closed his eyes leaning forward (and downwards!) as Tara barged in, interrupting them.

"Sookie! It is Dawn"

Sookie removed her hand quickly and followed Tara who was already out of the kitchen. Eric followed them closely as they ran towards what it seemed like a gathering of the whole community. When Eric reached the middle of the crowd, it had formed a circle around a body that was lying on the ground and Alcide and 2 other werewolves Eric did not know. He assumed that the body on the ground was ''Dawn''. He watched in silence as Alcide was arguying with one of the werewolf.

"These are vampire marks Alcide. We can't trust them"

"Enough Stephen, we do not know who did this and jumping to conclusion won't help anything" Alcide said louder as he looked up to Bill and Pam who was standing at the opposite side of Eric.

Pam was looking at Eric with her fangs out. She whispered she didn't do it and Bill couldn't have either in old Swedish, loud enough so only Eric and maybe Bill could hear it. Eric knew it wasn't her and wasn't Bill either. Judging by the look of the body, she had been drained and Stephen was right, it had been by a vampire. He was just accusing the wrong ones. Eric stepped in the inner circle of the crowd to face Alcide.

"May I?" he asked pointing at the body.

Alcide nodded in silence while Eric crouched to touch Dawn. He placed his hand over where her liver would be situated. The skin was still warm.

"She hasn't been dead for long" he declared while getting back up. "You are indeed correct that a vampire did this but I assure you neither I, Pam or Bill are responsible for her death"

"Why would we believe him" growled Stephen while looking at Alcide.

"Because I pick up a smell that is not theirs" simply declared Alcide.

"It is impossible, we have wards to protect us" somebody in the crowd stated. The rest of it agreed with it.

"Well apparently it is rather limited" said Pam joining Eric.

Eric did not recognize the smell on Dawn either which meant he had not been across the vampire before. Pam whispered to him in Swedish that it was a good thing they haven't left yet because they would have not been able to defend themselves against the accusations. How convenient. He agreed with her, this was definitely timed with his and her departure.

Eric took a moment to think about his next move. If a vampire was able to infiltrate the community and kill, why did he or she hid himself. It was not custom to kill and leave the body out in the open therefore he deducted that someone wanted the body found knowing they would be accused. Or maybe the vampire did not know about Pam and Bill and maybe was rogue. Either way, the community was no longer safe and leaving to see the queen would put it in higher danger.

"Pam, I will go to the queen alone, you must stay and investigate Dawn's death"

" Leaving?" Asked Alcide

"Yes, we were planning on leaving tomorrow night but due to the circumstances, I believe it would be wiser if I go alone."

Alcide agreed but still seemed suspicious. He looked at a couple of members of the pack who were growling probably by instincts. Eric looked through the crowd to see where Sookie was standing. He crossed her gaze and smiled at her before walking away. He could feel her distress, something was bothering her. He could feel the panic lingering within her but he had to go back to the cave before the sun rise. She tried to follow him but Sam grabbed her before she could.

Eric took flight to the lake regretting he had to go in his coffin. Pam and Bill were not far behind. Once they were in the coffin room, Bill spoke.

"Who did this?"

"I have no idea Bill" Eric responded. "I will inquire to the queen if she is aware of the attack. In the meantime, you both have to protect the rest of the community as it has been compromised. You may have a talk with the witches who have put together the ward. They might know the limitation of it which could bring us to whom did it."

" We will, we got by without any trouble without you before didn't we?" said Pam getting in her coffin.

"indeed" said Eric going to sleep as well. "I should be gone by the time you wake up"

Eric always woke up before most vampires because of his age. He was capable of staying up longer and waking up earlier as long as he was protected from the sun. He sometime managed to wake up in his coffin during the day although the sun made him sluggish

The sun was not completely down when Eric awoke in his coffin. He slowly got up, stiff from the long sleep he just had. As soon as the sun was not shining anymore, he got out of the cave. There was a couple of corpses wandering around the entrance and Eric took no time to take them out. There was something about chopping heads off that made him happy. So in a happy mood, he took flight towards the estate Bill had pointed out on a map where he would find the queen. The estate was a big castle surrounded by a metal gate. He saw the vampires guarding the entrance and decided to get in announced so he landed in front of them.

"I am here to see the queen"

The guards did not answer but opened the gate which lead to a big runway overgrown by grass and weeds. Once he reached the castle, he opened the doors which creaked loudly. The castle looked completely abandoned by the state it was in. The wallpaper was dirty and full of holes while the furniture was broken and full of dust. The chandelier which once looked over the main room was now on the ground. There were also broken paintings on the stairs that lead to the second floor. Eric stood at the entrance waiting for someone to come to him which didn't take long. A vampire by the name of André came from the room on the right. He was well dressed with a white tuxedo and looked seemed to be well fed.

"Eric, it is nice to see you"

"Like wise" Eric said not meaning it one second. Eric was never fond of André. He was arrogant and violent and reminded him of a snake.

"Please follow me."

André walked back into the room he came from which looked like the old dining room. He walked over the fireplace which open leading to a secret passage. They walked down to the under grown corridor which reminded Eric of a hospital. After walking in various different corridors which only had doors decorating them, they reached the main room. Eric could tell they were really far into the ground as most hallways were on a decline and the main room was very high. He looked up to the ceiling where he could see a big white light with reminiscence of the sun. There were empty balconies that were surrounding them. He then looked in front of him and smiled at the queen who was sitting at a big glass table. She signaled to approach her while André took place at her right side but Eric wasn't looking at them anymore, he was staring at the vampire on her left. Somehow, Eric was facing his maker but couldn't feel him which disturbed him greatly. He always assumed the absence of the bond was because his maker took to the ground. Now, he understood why the queen knew he was awaken, he must have told her.

"Good evening your majesty" and as he bowed to her he looked at his maker "Godric"

_ Thank you for reading_

_Review please! :D_

_xox _

_Z_


	11. Don't Lose Your Nerves

**A Better Tomorrow**

_Chapter 11- Don't Lose Your Nerves_

Sookie's head was about to explode with all the thoughts that were hitting her mental shields. In a moment of panic, she looked through the crowd hoping for a relief. There he was, standing on the opposite side of the her, staring at Dawn. Eric had made his way to the middle of the crowd to assess Dawn but Sookie did not care. Of course she was sad by the news of Dawn's death. No matter how much death she had witnessed, how much corpses she had watched, it did not make death any easier. An end to a life was always a sad thing and while she tried to cling to the little humanity she was feeling inside for her dead friend, she did not cared at that exact moment because she felt her head couldn't take the hits anymore. So she focused on Eric as he was placing his hand on Dawn's body. She focused on the void, the silence that his mind was offering her and she smiled as her body relaxed. She wasn't really paying attention to what was going on until Eric was leaving the crowd. He smiled at her and walked away. She tried to follow him but Sam had grabbed her shoulder as she was no longer able to keep her shields up.

She froze as she felt the fears, the panic and the worries of the crowd. She wanted to block them but just couldn't anymore. She felt her knees giving in and Sam caught her in time before she hit the ground. He slowly brought her down safely worried that something was wrong. Her eyes were bulging out of her head while the sweat was dripping down her forehead.

"Sookie! What's wrong!"

She did not look at him but instead closed her eyes. She felt so tired and weak.

When she reopened them, Alcide's face and Sam's face were hovering over hers. She blinked a couple of times before realizing she had passed out. She sat up quickly almost hitting their face in the process while looking around her. She was in her bed and her grandmother was sitting in the rocking chair beside her offering her a cup of tea. She smiled and took it thanking her in the process.

"What happened Sookie?" asked Alcide looking worried.

"I don't know, it never really happened before I guess"

The three of them was staring at her awaiting an answer which she did not have. All she knew was that her mind got overwhelmed by the thoughts but something else had happened. She had felt their fears and their worries. Normally, she would only hear their thoughts but this time she felt it. She thought to herself that she now truly knew what walking in someone's else's shoes was. She sighed at the weirdness of the event.

"Where's Eric?" she asked instead of providing them with the answer they were waiting for.

" He is sleeping, it's noon" Sam replied.

"He will be gone tonight" Alcide growled "how convenient"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sookie replied

"You must admit it is strange that a couple days after Eric has joined us, someone dies from draining and conveniently he is summoned by his queen which we had no knowledge of until tonight"

"I do not appreciate your allegations which, I don't need to remind you, are unfounded."

"True but you must admit, it is all weird coincidences"

"There are no coincidences in the world" Sam murmured loud enough for all of us to hear.

"That's enough" Adele said before Sookie could reply. "You can speculate all you want; the gentleman is innocent until proven guilty. Until then, I hope there will be an investigation?"

"Of course" Alcide confirmed. "We will let you rest Sookie. Later tonight, I would like to discuss certain things with you about what happened. Do you think you will be up for it? I could also use your talents for the investigation"

Sookie knew exactly what he meant. Other than the supes in the community, no one knew of her abilities. She was crazy Sookie to them but since the plague it had seemed that she wasn't so crazy anymore. A world full of corpses walking the street had proven itself crazier.

"Sure" she said before drinking the rest of her tea.

"Alright, I won't be far if you need me." Sam stated while giving her a kiss on the forehead.

Her grandmother stayed with her, rocking back and forth while staring at the floor. She seemed to be lost in her own thoughts.

Sookie tried to get up but quickly fell back in her bed afflicted by a horrible headache.

"You should really sleep Sookie, your mind need some rest"

"Will you stay here for a little while?"

Sookie always slept better when she had someone in her room. She felt safer with a presence.

"Of course, now sleep child"

So did Sookie who did not take long before falling into dreamland.

Sookie saw him again in her dream. The shadow, the pale skin, the red lips, the long blond hair tied in the back by a leather string; his piercing blue eyes staring at her very soul. She then saw him standing in a big room. She couldn't distinguish faces that were surrounding him as they were all blurry with the exception of one, a face just as pale as his with short dark hair. His face was peaceful and radiant. He was smiling.

Sookie awoke in silence in the same position she had fallen asleep. Her grandmother was gone as expected. She looked out of the window into the darkness. Some members of the community were walking down the main street with torches in hands. They looked worried and fearsome. Sookie knew the community was most likely restless after what had happened to Dawn.

She went outside in search of Alcide. She had promised him to help with the investigation. She headed for the main room in the church where the community usually gathered. Indeed he was sitting on one of the benches, alone, lost in his thoughts.

"Hi" she whispered as she sat beside him.

"Oh hey Sook, I didn't hear you come in"

"Oh I am sure you did you were just not paying attention. Any news?"

"No not really. We only know that she has been drained. We are burning her body tonight to be on the safe side"

"What is it you need my help with?"

"I thought you might be able to listen in and see if maybe you could find some clues on to what had happened? I don't think a vampire alone could have pulled that off. We do have a ward to protect us and even if it is limited, how could a vampire simply drain Dawn and then bring her in the middle of the town without anyone seeing anything?"

"I see what you mean… I'll do my best but I can't promise much. I think I passed out last night because of people's thoughts"

"It overwhelmed you?"

"I guess you can say that"

"mmmm" Alcide was back to his thoughts. He took a couple of minutes before adding "Just be careful and don't push yourself too hard"

Sookie agreed and left the church. The evening air was cooler and caressed her face gently as she walked down the main street. She was off guard duty that evening but she knew she wasn't going to get any rest.

She quickly grabbed a bite to eat while peeking into the couple minds that were in the kitchen. After listening to various thoughts, it was starting to be clear to her that no one knew anything and that the vast majority of the community was terrified.

She decided to head back to her room in order to clear her mind off. Once she reached the entrance, Pam and Bill were standing in the hallway not addressing each other. Pam looked her way and smiled

"Sookie! We were waiting for you. Heard anything interesting?"

Sookie looked at them suspiciously.

"No not really… Did Eric leave already?"

"Yes he has'' she replied.

Bill wasn't looking at her and if she did not know him better, she would think he was avoiding her eyes.

"I don't supposed you guys know anything else either?"

"Unfortunately no, the community is awfully tense and on guard it seems" Pam had exclaimed. "You would swear they think we had something to do with that human's death"

"You mean Dawn. "

"yes of course, Dawn"

"Well you can't blame them can you? She was drained and you guys are the two vampires of the community"

"Indeed" Pam affirmed.

Sookie caught herself staring at Bill who was still not looking at her. He didn't even acknowledge her presence. She sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. She had no wish to ask what his problem was as she knew it would give him a chance to talk about Eric again.

"Alright, well if there is nothing else then…" Sookie walked to her door and opened it hoping they would leave.

"You know we didn't do it right?" Bill said in one breath

Sookie turned around to face him

"Of course, we just need to figure out who did.. Alcide thinks the vampire had helped, maybe from the inside?"

"That's plausible" Pam said "goodnight Sookie" she added before they left her in silence.

...

A couple days went by without much more advancements in the investigation. It had seemed that as the hours past, the community grew weary and worried. Sometimes accusing each other while at other times, crying together. Dawn's ashes' burial went without a hitch. The whole community had gathered to say their goodbyes except two of its members; Bill and Pam. There were a lot of speculations to why they would not attend the funeral but as far as Sookie was concerned, they had their reasons and it was probably really good reasons. The community, however, did not share her thoughts. She could hear their thoughts and their suspicions which most time had given her a headache.

As time went by, she got worried about the vampires. No one had seen them since the burial. She brushed off the bad worries which had made their way to her head. If there was anyone in the community who could defend themselves; it was the vampires.

Sookie was heading down to her Grandmother's room when she noticed something was off. There were no cats to greet her. She pushed the door open to find an empty room which looked perfectly normal except for the messy bed.

She decided to head over to the church to look for Adele but her search was unsuccessful. She spent most of the day asking everyone around her where her grandmother was. The less people knew, the more worried she grew. When the sun went down, Sookie knew something was wrong. Her grandmother would never ever leave the community without telling anyone and she sure would not want to be outside at dark.

On her way to the kitchen, she heard a cat miauling behind the main building. She headed in that direction to find Stephen beside the big garbage bin in the alley. It was dark and she couldn't really tell what he was doing. He turned rapidly in her direction in order to face her. His eyes kept looking between Sookie and something on the ground.

"Hi Stephen! Have you seen my grandmother by any chance?"

She smiled at him not sure if it was to reassure him or herself when her eyes venture to look down at his hands.

She realized that Stephen wasn't looking at the ground but at his own hands which were holding a knife covered in blood.

_Thank you for reading!_

_Xox _

_Z_


	12. It's Never Gonna Fade

_I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who follows/favorites my story and to my reviewers. Sure I don't have a ton BUT the ones I do have are just awesome. When I started this story, I did not think it would be very popular and well received but so far I have a lot of positive feedback and it puts a smile to my face!_

**A Better Tomorrow**

_Chapter 12- It's Never Gonna Fade_

"Ah! Eric! So nice to see you darling!" Sophie-Ann exclaimed with sparkles in her eyes. She was well dressed for the occasion. For a minute, you could even pretend there weren't any corpses walking the street by looking at her. You could also think this was the 1920's as Sophie-Ann never stopped wearing clothing from that Era. Godric on the other end was wearing clothing Eric wasn't used to see him in. His style had a military flare to it with black cargo pants, a beige t-shirt and a black tactical vest.

"Likewise your majesty" Eric replied

"I was so happy when your maker advised me that you were awake! Tell me, who woke you up exactly?" Sophie-Ann asked with avid eyes.

"Members of Bill Compton and my child's community. I believe they used synthetic blood to revive me"

"How fascinating! How did they find you!?"

"I did not ask your majesty"

"mmmm I wonder if Bill or Pamela had anything to do with it. Do you think they have disobeyed me Eric?"

"No I do not"

Sophie-Ann gestured to her servants which brought Eric a cup containing blood.

"You must be starving for real blood"

Eric took a sip from the cup thanking the queen for her generosity.

"does the blood pleases you?"

He nodded. She gestured for a servant to approach him

"well then why not drink from the source" she stated with an evil smile on her lips. Eric stared at this queen while his fangs extended.

"You are too kind, my queen"

he did not break the stare when he plunged his fangs in the servant's throat who moan from the pleasure she was getting. Sophie-Ann's own fangs were extended as she was watching the scene. Each sip was met by his queen's own arousal. Once he was finished, the queen looked disappointed but continued

"I have summoned you because I have a mission for you. It should not take you too long." She got up and walked over to Eric followed by Godric. She took Eric's arm and started walking down the hall.

"As you know, we have a team of researchers here which has been task to find a cure. Through the years, the team got a little bigger and now includes humans and other creatures. Anyways I digress. They have been working very hard on that cure and after years, they were starting to lose faith"

They reached a big metal door at the end of the hallway which opened automatically for them. As they entered, the working scientist stopped and watched them go by in silence. The room they had entered was a giant lab full of different people in white coats. It was clear that they were researching and testing in the biochemistry field which Eric knew nothing about. As they reached another room behind a giant glass wall, Sophie-Ann continued.

"Until recently… it has come to my attention that there might be a cure that could be engineered but it will take time. Anyhow, I would like you to investigate some death in the area as I am reinstating you into your sheriff position"

Eric had his poker face on like any good vampire would but on the inside, the thought that Sophie-Ann might of lost it crossed his mind. He did not say anything and just waited for her to explain herself.

"Many of my dear friends, vampires of course, have been killed and no one seems to be able to figure out how. I would hate for those deaths to reach your little community and my door of course, SO, I would need you to look for the offenders."

"As you wish your majesty"

"I was having a chat with the king of Oklahoma and it seems like they have been having the same problems… how unfortunate" She paused " Some of their agent will come to Bon Temps in the near future in order to join forces."

Eric glanced over at Godric who was still following them. He could not feel him at all and didn't understand why. Why would his maker choose to block his half of the bond they both shared?

"In the meantime" She pushed a button on the back wall of the room which made a window appear. It was one of those opaque mirrors where only one side can see the other. In the middle of the other room, there was a man tied up on a chair. He seemed to have been beaten severely and probably tortured.

"This piece of shit was found killing vampires in day rest not too far from here. We have no idea how he had found their hiding place but one thing for sure, he wasn't alone. We are not sure if his little killing spree has anything ot do with the other vampires death here and in Oklahoma but I was hoping you would have new ideas on how to extract the information? Maybe you know someone with better methods…"

Sophie-Ann was staring at him with a smile. Eric knew of one person who could help them but he wasn't sure if the queen knew of her and he wasn't about to reveal her identity and put her life in danger. As much as Eric respected his queen, she was dangerous. He decided to play dumb.

"I assure you my queen, you have the best skills when it comes to torturing"

Godric was watching his child carefully. As Eric crossed his eyes, Godric had opened the bond just enough to feel him. Eric was hit with feelings of peacefulness, but also caution and he knew it was coming from his maker. He also knew his maker would know he is lying and hiding something.

Eric hadn't seen his maker in over 200 years as they both had chosen to go separate ways. Godric had sometimes closed the bond in order to protect his child but most the time it was open. No matter the distance, Eric always was able to feel his maker to a degree. Since they didn't really communicate during these 200 years, Eric wasn't sure what his maker was up to and to see him with his queen was odd. He had to get Godric alone to discuss.

Sophie-Ann sighed heavily and didn't look too happy.

"I don't mean torture Northman. Did Bill and Pam fail to mention who they were watching in your little community?"

Eric wasn't eager to hear the next part. He knew Sookie was under watch but he didn't know how much the queen knew.

"The telepath will do just fine. Since she is in your area, I need you to bring her to me. By force if necessary. "

Eric wasn't thrilled by the orders. He knew if he brought Sookie to his queen, she could do anything with her and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Very well my queen"

"Perfect! So it is settle. André will escort you to your quarters for the day. It was nice seeing you Eric"

Sophie-Ann gave him her hand to kiss which he did ceremoniously. He then followed André but not before looking at his maker who nodded. Once in his room, Eric waited patiently for Godric to come knowing he was on his way.

"Child, sit"

Eric did what his maker asked him to do watching him very closely. Godric sat beside him and placed his hand on Eric's lap.

"It is so good to see you after so many years" and they both hugged each other tightly. Godric was the first to break the embrace. "I am afraid I wish it was under better circumstances" he added.

"Agreed. I was surprised to see you at Sophie-Ann's side"

"I can imagine. I was in the area investigating a group of individuals who did a lot of damage in Europe and since this is her kingdom, it is custom to request permission."

Eric nodded in agreement.

"As you know, many royals have put together teams of scientists to find a cure to the virus as human do not deserve what is happening to them. Although most vampires are researching for their own benefits, I do believe some of us wish for a peaceful and equal life with them once and if the plague is eliminated. Unfortunately, just like in the vampire community, some humans do not agree with this and believe that their god has chosen this path for the human species in order to annihilate our own species. These individuals must be stopped as I believed they are the ones responsible for the vampire's deaths in your area. They are also prepared to kill humans for their cause."

Throughout the years, Eric had witness what religion was capable of achieving. All that was needed was one charismatic leader, a somewhat plausible god story and some followers to create a deadly movement.

"We don't have much information about them other than they call themselves the fellowship of the sun"

...

Eric took flight as soon as the sun was down. He had a lot of thinking to do and a lot of information to process. He had no choice in the matter of bringing Sookie to his queen but he had to find a way to protect her. He knew what to do but he wasn't sure if Sookie would agree to it hence why he was debating on whether to do it with or without her consent. And there was the matter of the fellowship of the sun. He wondered if they had anything to do with Dawn's death in the community. What if her death was staged to look like a vampire attack?

As he flew over the wooded area surrounding Shreveport, Sookie's concern grew bigger through their bond. She was looking for something and the closer he got the clearer it got; she was looking for someone. When he reached the wall, something changed in Sookie. He sensed fear which troubled him because the bond wasn't strong enough for him to locate her.

He landed on the mainstreet and was greated by Pam

"Master! How was your trip?" she asked

"could have been worst" he replied "Have you seen Sookie?"

"I believe she is looking for her grandmother. She said she hasn't seen her all day. Bill is helping her"

"Where is she?"

"I am not sure, I will go to her room to look for her"

Pam walked in the other direction while Eric entered the church. Sookie wasn't there. He quickly looked in the kitchen, bathroom and other public place where she could be asking everyone if they had seen her. Many of the community members seemed trouble by his question since they had seen Sookie looking for her grandmother all day and now she was missing?

Eric focused on the bond to see if he could use it to locate her now that he was closer but it was in vain as the bond was just not strong enough. As he walked down the main street to join Pamela who was coming back from Sookie's room, the sweet smell of her blood hit his nostril which automatically made his fangs snap out while growling.

_Thank you for reading!_

_xox_

_Z_


	13. Come Undone

_Warning; Lemon ahead. If you do not like lemons, you do not have to walk away. I always put them in one giant block so you can simply skip them._

_My fic is rated M for violence, gore and sex. One thing I promise you is my no rape policy. If a rape is necessary in one of my story, I never go in details as I do not deem it necessary._

**A Better Tomorrow**

_Chapter 13- Come Undone_

Sookie took a step back staring at his shaky hands. She couldn't really see his expression but she could hear his thoughts.

_Kill that fucking bitch_

Stephen looked up but his expression did not match the thought that had just crossed her mind. He seemed confused and in distress, pleading with his eyes.

"Sookie! What happened… Who's blood is this?"

She was still backing up not believing a word he was saying

"Sookie, please help me. I don't know what is going on!"

_Why is she scared of me, who's blood is this? Oh my god, what have I done?_

_KILL HER_

Sookie was confused by the thoughts clouding her judgement. She took a minute to look back in order to assess just how far away she was from the main street. By the time she had made the decision she would run for it, Stephen was already grabbing her arm. He was using a brutal force which made her scream

"You are hurting me Stephen. What have you done?"

His hand was tightening around her arm as Sookie bended her knees in pain.

"STOP"

To her horror, his other hand came up still holding the knife.

"Stephen, stop! What are you doing!?"

He seemed hopeless as in someone else was controlling his movement. He was avoiding eye contact while his hand was extending above his head. For a split second his eyes met Sookie's which made him drop the knife and allowed Sookie enough time to kick him in the balls. In an effort to protect herself, she reached for the blade but unfortunately, she grabbed it from the wrong end and while Stephen yelped from the kick, he grabbed the knife back from her; cutting the inside of her hand in the process. Sookie yelled holding her wrists as the blood was flowing and she looked at Stephen in disbelief.

"Sookie, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that. I am so sorry"

This time he threw the knife far from both of them and pleaded to Sookie

"Please Sookie you have got to believe me I didn't mean to hurt you. I don't know whose blood that is"

_Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god_

Stephen's thoughts were broadcasting very loud and clear. He was mentally freaking out. It is at that moment it hit her again

_Fucking useless puppy. You should have killed that fucking cunt_

Sookie realized that it was no longer Stephen's thoughts she was hearing but someone else's. She looked around in panic trying to see if she could found the author of such thoughts but without success. She then looked at Stephen.

"I believe you! Calm down…" but before she could add anything else, a flash of blond flew by, grabbing Stephen on his way, pinning him by the throat to the alley wall.

Eric's face was very calm but she could hear him growled.

"Eric! Stop! It was an accident" Sookie exclaimed while grabbing him by the shoulders with her good hand.

Stephen was choking, his eyes budging out of his skull but before it was too late, Eric dropped him on the ground and turned to face Sookie. He grabbed her wrist gently to look at the inside of her hand. Still growling he looked back at Stephen and looked at his hands.

Pam and Alcide were now joining them in the alley as Sookie was grabbing a piece of her shirt to wrap her hand with. She then stood beside Eric and looked at Alcide.

"What is going on here!" He said furiously

Stephen was still on the ground barely breathing holding his throat as in it was going to help him in any way. Alcide crouched to be closer to Stephen's height and stared at him awaiting an answer.

"I don't know… I heard Sookie from a far and when I looked at my hands I was holding and knife and… and… my hands were full of blood!" he cried to Alcide

"Who's blood is this!"

"I don't know!"

Sookie felt Eric calming down at her side. Her right shoulder was barely touching his arm. She focused on his mind knowing it would help her put her shields back up which she did right away. After a couple of seconds of silence, it hit her

"Where is my grandmother?" she asked shaking

Alcide took Stephen's hand and brought them to his nose. After sniffing it a couple times he looked back at Sookie

"Not on his hands. This is animal blood. Feline"

Eric grabbed Sookie's hand and held it as she calmed down.

"then where the hell is she!?" She was growing impatient. No one answered her.

"You need to go to the infirmary, Sookie. Let me take care of this." Alcide said while staring at Stephen. He was a member of his pack after all.

Pam was looking at Eric as if she was trying to communicate something to him. Sookie looked at her and while she agreed with Alcide she needed to go to the infirmary she snapped at Pam.

"Where the hell have you been? And where is Bill?"

Eric followed Sookie who had started walking away from Alcide and Stephen still holding Eric's hand. Pam did not answer her but followed them instead. She wasn't about to have this type of accusatory discussion in front of wolves.

Once they reached the infirmary, a nurse took over. She didn't ask questions but instead got the necessary bandages to patch Sookie up. After looking at her hand she stated

"You will need stitches. This is too deep. I am out of pain killers"

Sookie stared at her for a while.

"I don't need stitches. Just put some bandages to stop the bleeding please"

She was being rude but she was pretty much at the end of her rope. Plus, she figured Eric will just give her blood and all would be fine. That's when Eric bent down to look at her right in the eyes with an intense look

"I think the nurse is right Sookie, You do need stitches"

She frowned at him. What was he on about? Dr. Eric had spoken once again.

"Fine" She grabbed a piece of the bed sheet she was sitting on, twisted it and bit into hit.

"I am ready" she managed to say through the cloth.

Eric and Pam stayed back while the nurse was driving the needle in Sookie's hand causing her great pain. The nurse was trying her best to grab the skin and thread the needle as fast as she could while Sookie was biting really hard on the cloth. After 15 stitches, the nurse finally stopped.

"You will not be able to move your hand too much Sookie or you will risk breaking the stitches. Are you right handed?"

Sookie nodded sighing very heavily. Eric would have some explaining to do as to why she had to go through that pain when he could have just as easily healed her. Her look told him as much.

As she came out of the infirmary, she was greeted by a furious Jason

"Where the hell is Gran Sookie?

"I don't know genius. " She did not appreciate his tone and she had reached the end of the rope before the stitches.

"if something happened to her I swear"

"What!? You swear what? Maybe if you were not gone for so long she wouldn't be missing would she?"

Sookie knew it wasn't fair of her to say that. Jason had been gone on an expedition to gather supplies for the community. These types of expeditions always took days but Jason had pushed the wrong buttons.

" Who the fuck is he?" Jason replied looking at Eric who was already getting his fangs ready.

Sookie turned to Eric and gave him a gentle punch on the torso

"No Eric that's my brother! Jason this is Eric, Eric, Jason."

She looked back at her brother.

"He has been helping us so calm down" she stared at him and let his thoughts entered her mind.

Jason was thinking about Adele and feared the worst. He was also thinking of Eric and how obvious it was he was a vampire even before the fangs. Jason hated Pam and Bill for what they were and according to Jason's thoughts; Eric wasn't going to escape the hatred. He also swore to himself he was going to stake Eric himself if he had touched his little sister.

Jason then looked at Sookie and by the look in her eyes; he knew she was listening in.

_Sook' fuck off, you shouldn't be in my thoughts. Pecan Pecan Pecan Pecan_

Sookie laughed at the change of thoughts and both vampire looked at her as in she was crazy. Pam decided that it was time to brief Jason on what was going on, especially on Dawn since he had left the community before her death, so she grabbed him by the arm and walked away from Sookie and Eric assuring him she was going to explain everything.

"Sookie, we need to talk" said Eric. "in private" as he was watching a couple members of the community who happened to pass by.

"We can go to my room"

Once they entered her room, Sookie closed the door.

"I am worried about my grandmother" she stated while sitting on her bed as Eric took the only other seat in the room; an uncomfortable chair in front of her dresser.

" I know, we will find her I promise."

Sookie nodded in agreement and looked down at her hand which was throbbing with pain. The community had run out of painkillers ages ago.

"Why did you want me to get stitches? I mean, I don't want to make it a habit or anything but I could have drank your blood"

Eric's fang extended as he licked his lips. Sookie could tell such discussion aroused him.

"mmmm. As much as I would love that Sookie, there are consequences to feeding on me"

Sookie wasn't sure exactly what he meant by that and the interrogative look she had on her face did not escaped Eric.

He got up from his chair and Sookie gazed at him as he sat beside her. His hand caressed her arm slowly while his fangs were fully extended.

"Have you not noted things are a little different when you have my blood?"

Sookie closed her eyes and focused on his hand which was slowly trailing down to her own. His touch gave her goose bumps while she could feel something burning up; herself. Eric was moving extremely slowly which was torturing her deeply. She felt his head getting closer to her neck as his hand had moved to her thigh. He then started to kiss her neck leaving a burning sensation every time his lips touched her skin. Sookie moaned while his hand reached her inner thigh caressing her leisurely. She automatically turned her body towards him aching for proximity as her hand reached into his hair, holding his head to her neck. She found herself straddling his body in order to face him. His hand had left her body, leaving her wanting more. Her own hands were now holding his face while she leaned down to kiss him. Her tongue clashed with his has he moaned in her mouth. Their body were moving in a rhythmic movement as their kiss intensified. She reached down to his pants untying them quickly not without brushing the bulge of his crotch which was now clearly visible. Eric had started taking off her shirt taking a split second break from the kiss in order to pass it over her head. Her bra came undone with the help of Eric's hand ending up on the floor in the process. He took a minute to break away from the kiss to admire her breast now fully exposed. The excitement in his eyes was enough to make her body rumble as she quickly tugged his head to her own so they could resume kissing. She brought his right hand to her breast which he gladly massaged as their tongue danced happily in their mouth. When he started playing with her nipple, Sookie's head tipped backwards as she moaned her pleasure from the small pain.

"Sookie?" Eric asked with amusement in his voice.

She opened her eyes to realize not only she was fully clothed but Eric was sitting at her side, watching her. His eyes were hungry while she could see the smile at the corner of his lips.

"fuck" that's all she could manage to say while her face was burning up in embarrassment

"I assume that is precisely what you were imagining? Making love to me…._ Lover"_

The satisfying look Eric had made Sookie's embarrassment worst. Was it his blood that made her imagine these things? She got up from the bed wanting to escape her awkwardness but Eric had grabbed her by the arm forcing her, gently, to stay seated on the bed. She was focusing on her hand and the throbbing pain.

" Do not be so ashamed. My blood might be amplifying your feelings indeed"

She looked at him and relaxed as the red of her cheek was slowly fading. She then frowned wondering how he knew what she was thinking ? She stared at him.

"We have already exchanged blood 2 times Sookie. A third time might have a binding effect I am afraid"

She kept on staring waiting for more details. The smile on his face indicated her that he was truly enjoying what was going on.

"What kind of binding?"

"Well that depends on who is bonded but judging by the effect our exchange has already had on us, I am assuming quite binding"

"I don't understand.. you mean that these thoughts are not my own?"

"Oh they are but just amplified by my blood"

"Have you had the same about me?

He growled as he nodded but added

" Although I do not need your blood for that"

She blushed again and looked out the window as in not looking at him would make him disappear. She tried to bring back the conversation on the bond itself instead of all the sexuality that was evident

"Is that why I have been having weird feelings? As in, not my feelings?"

"Indeed, those would be mine"

She didn't have time to process what he had just told her and continued asking

"What about my gift, is your blood making it worst?"

"Worst is a matter of opinion but yes it might amplify it just like it is amplifying your feelings."

" So what would happen if we do it a third time?"

"it becomes quite permanent"

Sookie looked at him horrified

"And you were going to tell me when?"

"I just did"

She crossed her arm in anger. Was he playing her? Did he exchange blood with her so she would obsessed about him? Is that why Bill never offered his blood?

"You're an asshole"

She couldn't take the conversation anymore. She was angry he had not mentioned it before now and just wanted to leave his sight but instead, Eric grabbed her chin so she couldn't do anything else but look into his eyes

"I could have not told you at all and let you get bind to me… but I didn't."

Sookie sighed heavily knowing he was right. After all, the second time they exchange blood was because she was wounded.

'So what now?" she asked. How was she supposed to know what was real from what was amped up by his blood?

"The effect of my blood will pass eventually Sookie, do not worry. Once it does, you should be back to your normal self."

She pinched her lips at the thought that was not what she wanted but brushed it off quickly. Once again he knew what she was thinking.

"Well I guess that's a relief" she said not meaning it. It did not escape Eric.

"Trust me lover, I would rather heal you. The smell of your blood is quite intoxicating"

"Stop calling me lover." She said right away while Eric was smiling at her triumphant

"It bothers you?"

She did not answer him but instead glared at him as he laughed. She found his laugh contagious and joined him for a moment. The Eric in front of her was quite different from the Eric she had met previously. Was he letting his guards down?

In an effort to change subject and not answer him she asked

"What was it you wanted to discuss anyway"

Eric stopped laughing and his expression got very serious suddenly which made her shivered. Why so serious!? (:P)

"My queen has summoned you"

_Hope you enjoyed it :o)_

_Xox_

_Z_


	14. I Don't Wanna Face

_Sorry for the little delay, I have been working on the plan for this story. I felt like I was forgetting things and it was depressing but now I feel better and more confident with where I am going with this so hopefully chapters will keep on coming :) You should get more answers to your questions. I predict this story should be completed within 40 chapters max with possible sequel. We shall see._

_Chapter 14- I Don't Wanna Face_

He looked at her not sure how exactly she would react. He wasn't expecting her to be a 100% willing and he thought he might have some convincing to do.

"Why?" that is all she managed to ask after the initial shock.

He wasn't sure how to word it so it did not sound like the queen was going to use her even if that was exactly what she intended to do.

"She needs your help. There have been some unexplained deaths in the vampire community. She has in her custody a human she believes know more than he lets on"

She nodded understanding where he was going with that which made him stop his explanation. She took his hand and held it tightly.

"Do you think she could help me find Gran? Do you think it might be related?" she asked with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

He did not want to lie to her but the chance of Sophie-Ann helping Sookie were closer to none. He did not respond to her.

"Do you think Gran is.."

"I don't know Sookie but I am sure if the queen knows anything, she will share it with us" which was not entirely untrue although he knew she did not know anything more than they did.

"When are we leaving?" she asked

"Tomorrow night. You must rest Sookie. I will come get you tomorrow night"

She looked exhausted, her eyes red from the fatigue. As he suggested, she laid down on her bed

"Will you stay with me?" tears filled her eyes as she spoken the words.

He sat closer to where her head was resting and gently stroked her hair as she closed her eyes. She did not take long to fall into a deep sleep which was obviously needed. He knew her emotional stresses on top of her physical wounds were adding up but Sookie was strong which made him smile. She was his little warrior.

He left her to sleep after spending an hour watching her. He had always missed dreaming and wondered what she was dreaming of. He could feel faded feelings from her, feelings of hope and peacefulness which made him smile despite the sadness he had that their bond was already fading.

Once he reached the main street, he sniffed the air looking to see if he could pick up Alcide's smell. He needed to find out what had happenned with the other wolf and Sookie. On his way to the guard tower, Pam walked in his direction.

"Going to see the dogs aren't you?" Eric only growled for an answer

"Can I join?"

He smiled at her as he opened the door to the guard tower, letting her get in first. Alcide was sitting at a table with Stephen drinking what smelled like alcohol.

"What happened?" Eric asked in response to Alcide offering him a seat.

"He doesn't remember" Alcide growled. "now please, let's keep this civilized shall we?"

Eric looked at Stephen and as he crouched to be face to face, he started to glamour him

"You will tell me what happened, what cat did you kill?"

"I do not remember killing a cat"

"What about Sookie? Why did you try to kill her?"

"I did not" Stephen replied terrified by the questions. His eyes were glazed staring at Eric.

"His memory was erased" Pam declared

"How?" Alcide asked and then growled knowing glamouring could have that effect if the vampire asked for Stephen to forget. "any way to know which vampire did this?"

"No" Eric said. He was still glamouring Stephen. "What is the last thing you remember?"

" A school bus"

Alcide looked confused as Pam extended her fangs. There was no school bus within the community.

"I was trying to catch a rabbit for dinner"

"were you in human shape or wolf shape?" Eric questioned

"Wolf"

Eric stood up breaking the glamour. Stephen looked horrified realizing what had just happened.

"You could have just asked!" he yelled at the two vampires while Alcide grabbed him by the shoulder to calm him down.

"This way I know you are not lying" Eric said as he looked at Alcide. "Pam and I did not do this. I will have to investigate further to find that school bus" he got up and walked over to the door.

"Sookie and I are leaving tomorrow night"

At the words, Alcide got up and started growling very loudly

"You are not taking Sookie anywhere, she is a member of this community"

"He will return her unharmed don't you worry" Pam declared as she followed her master. Alcide grabbed her by the arm as she hissed at him.

"She is on guard duty tomorrow night"

"Well I am sure" Eric said as he grabbed Alcide's arm to force him to let go of Pam's "that you will find her a replacement so she can go look for her grandmother"

Alcide returned to his seat and did not argue further. He knew there was no way he could stop Sookie from looking for her Gran and although he disagreed, he knew he had to let go. He found comfort knowing that Eric would be with her and that it was going to be easy for him to explain to the rest of the community why Sookie couldn't take her shift.

Once Pam and Eric were outside, Eric asked her where Bill was. She indicated to him that he was back at the cave and they both headed there. Eric was expecting them to explain what they had found about the witches since his return, he did not have the time to do so. He also assumed Pam knew about the school bus Stephen mentioned as she reacted with her fangs at the mention of it.

Once they were both inside in Bill's company, Eric enquired about the witches.

...

Pam and Bill had reached the clearing in the middle of the woods that were surrounding Shreveport. A giant tree was standing in the middle of it and chained to it, two corpses missing their mouths and arms. Beside it, a school bus which was obviously now a house for someone or was it something? A camp fire was close to its entrance and was cooking something that intoxicated the air around them.

Bill walked over to the bus and knocked on the door while Pam examined the corpses. They were growling at her and were trying to grab her but having no arms made it impossible for them.

"No mouth, they cannot bite, no hands they cannot grab. Safest corpses around"

Pam turned around to see who had said that. Right beside Bill was standing a woman. Her skin was dark and she was wearing some sort of cape with a big hood (wink to the walking dead hahah)

"And why would you want corpses here?" Pam asked intrigued by the woman

"Seems like their smell keeps other corpses away. Handy when I have to leave the ward. What do you want?"

"We are looking for the witches who put together the ward around Bon Temps' main street" Bill stated staring at her.

"mmmm, would one do?" the black woman asked with an evil smile on her lips. Pam and Bill did not show emotions but both of them were confused.

"Unfortunately, I am all alone" she added.

"What happened?"

The woman did not answer but Pam and Bill suspected they either had left her or had perished.

"So I ask again, what do you want?"

She indicated to them to sit around the fire while she served herself a portion of whatever was cooking.

"We need to know the weaknesses of the ward" Bill explained "There was an attack and we need to know how, someone with bad intentions, was capable of entering"

The woman chuckled and took a bite of her meal. She seemed to be savouring each mouthful while staring at Bill. She then stated

"Probably because they also had good intentions as well. The ward is limited, it doesn't pick up on everything especially if it is hidden behind good intentions"

"Why don't you live within the community?" Pam asked

"I don't need anyone"

...

Eric was watching the flames burning within the small fireplace in their room. He doubted that the witch had anything to do with Stephen's actions yet Stephen had seen her school bus.

"So you haven't found out much other than anyone with good intention can enter the ward even if they also have bad intentions?"

Pam laughed at Eric's statement. Worded this way, she did find it ridiculous.

Eric then proceeded to explained to them what had happened in the queen's compound. About the fellowship of the sun, his maker and why the queen required Sookie. Bill did not look too happy when he declared they would be leaving tomorrow night. He knew the queen would only use her and then most likely discard of her since she would have seen too much. He looked at Eric with anger and fear in his eyes.

"Oh Compton, you were never one to hide your feelings. It's written on your forehead… She will be safe, I will make sure of it. Sookie is mine"

Bill jumped on Eric at the words. Pam stood by, trusting her maker didn't need her help. As soon as Bill hands lay on Eric's shoulder, he grabbed it and turned him around so Bill was now facing him. Both were showing fangs when Eric threw Bill against the wall which he recovered quickly running at vampire speed towards Eric but stopped dead in his tracks about 2 feet away from him. Eric had drawn his sword and was now pointing at Bill.

"Give me one reason not to cut your head off Compton"

Bill was staring at him still growling but after a moment of assessing his position, he retracted his fangs.

"My apologies Eric, the queen is expecting a full report from me in an hour."

He stepped back and walked away without looking at him again. Eric turned to Pam who was smiling from the show she just had witnessed.

"Oh how much I love Coq fighting" (Coq is roaster in French and we have this expression about ''roaster' fighting but it's SO much funnier in english hahaahahaha)

He glared at her.

"You will come with us tomorrow, Pam"

"Of course master" she replied

...

As soon as Pam woke up the following night, they were both heading back to the community without a word to Bill who stayed in his coffin most likely to avoid them. They flew over the woods side by side taking in the fresh air of the night. Eric could still smell the sun lingering around him. He loved that smell, it reminded him of Sookie. When they flew over the wall, Eric noticed that a lot of corpses were gathering around the south entrance.

"Where's the night's watch to take care of them?" Pam asked more as a statement than an actual question.

Eric knew Sookie was due for her shift but Alcide was supposed to find a replacement. He made a sign to Pam to go down and help him clean up the mess. It didn't take long to take care of the small gathering but then Pam suggested walking the entire wall to ensure there was no other corpses around which they did in silence. Half an hour later, they headed to the main street.

When they reached it, it seemed deserted to them. They walked over Sookie's apartment when she came out running in Eric's arms. Her lips came crashing into his which took him by surprised. They kissed for a couple of minutes until Pam made a small ''hum''.

Sookie blushed automatically

"Oh Eric, I'm sorry about that… it was just such a bad day"

He smiled at her while holding her shoulders staring into her blue eyes in search of what had troubled her.

_Review please it is really appreciated!_

_Xox_

_Z_


	15. I Hope It Doesn't Last

_Hey gang!_

_Someone nicely pointed out that I could reply to each review in PM. Well that's a brilliant idea! Now I must explain myself. Back in the old days of fanfiction, there was no option to reply directly to a review (this is like back in 2002) so we used to reply to people within the chapter just like I was doing. Now I realize how silly I was and I will for now on, reply to you in PM._

**A Better Tomorrow**

_Chapter 15- I hope it doesn't last _

Sookie kept her eyes closed when she woke up the next day. She stretched slowly letting the sun caressed her skin and its warmth penetrate its pore. She sighed heavily knowing Eric had long left her to hide from the very thing she was enjoying. After many stretches, she finally opened her eyes as the need to eat was stronger than the need to rest. She looked at her reflection in the cracked mirror of her dresser while combing her hair. She found her lips redder and her skin seemed to have a glow to it she wasn't used to. She was surprised to see herself look so healthy and wondered if Eric's blood had anything to do with it. She knew it could heal almost all human diseases and wounds but what if the person was already healthy? What would happen then? She imagined the community drinking vampire blood on a daily basis to keep them strong and giggled at the idea. That same idea was probably what kept them from telling the community about their blood in the first place.

On her way to the community kitchen she was hit with a couple thoughts from some members she crossed path with. Thoughts about her being with Eric, a stranger, and she even heard someone calling her a ''fang banger''. By the time she reached the entrance door, she was boiling with rage. Alcide was sitting a table and noticed Sookie coming in. She walked by him without acknowledging his presence until he grabbed her arm.

"We must talk. Here have my eggs"

Sookie glared at him but sat anyways; after all Alcide was the community leader. She looked at his eggs for a minute and took a bite without appetite. Today wasn't the day she would let good eggs go to waste.

" I heard you are leaving tonight with the new vamp?"

"Eric, his name is Eric" she mumbled with a mouth full of eggs.

"We need you here Sook'"

She signed rolling her eyes. She felt guilty she was not going to be there for them but somehow she didn't feel as bad as she thought she should and blamed it the fact she never felt like she belonged there in the first place. She did not reply to him but Alcide noticed she looked sad.

"I am not going to stop you from going Sook' but I must warned you against Eric"

She pushed her plate aside and simply stared at him without a word. She was working really hard on keeping her breathing slow and calm.

"Before the plague" he paused as if looking for the right words "It is not the first time I meet Eric"

She got up to wash her plate still listening to Alcide wishing she was somewhere else.

"He killed two members of my pack"

Sookie signed heavily before returning to her chair.

"And I am sure he has killed many others before and after as well… He is a vampire. Do you really think I am naïve enough to think Eric has never killed?" She asked.

"Oh I don't think that Sookie but killing without a cause? Without any sense of boundaries? Vampires don't need to kill to feed and as for Sarah and Myriam, he has killed them in cold blood without any reasons. My pack was on their way to Shreveport when another pack told us about the plague coming."

Sookie felt her heart sink at the words. She could feel her body weak as if her veins were filled with a heavy poison threatening, at any time, to take her mind away. She closed her eyes and tried to brush off the overwhelming feeling of defeat that was taking over her body but in vain. Alcide had just managed to break the dream she had built herself. She felt silly for believing Eric to be a gentleman. She had known all along he was no hero but somehow it had helped her to believe in something, in someone.

And somehow, this was gone in an instant. She felt broken, her mind screaming to be left alone with her memories of how she had portrayed him.

She shook all the thoughts and feelings away for the moment. She didn't understand why she felt so alone at that very second but she was not about to show it to Alcide. Her face became hard and as she looked up at him she said between her teeth

"I don't care, I am still going with him tonight. I want to find my grandmother"

"I won't stop you from looking for her Sookie, but you cannot trust Eric"

Sookie got up from the table again but this time her gestures were abrupt and loud; Alcide could tell she was mad.

"Thank you Alcide for the warning" She turned her back on him and walked away.

As soon as she reached the main street she was hit with thoughts about her and her new vampire friend. Under normal circumstances, she would have just blocked them but after the conversation with Alcide, she was too upset to do so.

She needed some time alone to think, to make sense of her feelings and she was not going to be able to do it while being hit with all these thoughts so she decided to walk to the wall even if she wasn't due for watch. Sometimes she had felt that although the walls were for their protection it was also their prison. Most members of the community avoided it when they were not on duty, which was making it the quietest part of town.

On her way, she had encountered Tara who informed her that Jason and a group of men were out looking for Adele. If Tara had not been in a hurry, she would have noticed her friend's distress but instead she left Sookie with her own thoughts.

When she reached the wall, she grabbed a handful of rocks from the ground, put them in her pocket and climbed up the wall to sit on top of a dresser. While she was lost in her thoughts, she was throwing one rock at a time, at a corpse nearby. It started to walk in her direction until it reached the wall extending its arm to grab her as it mumbled noises that no longer seemed human.

Since Sookie was out of its reach, she kept on throwing rocks at it which didn't seem to bother it at all. As the corpse tried relentlessly to grab her, she wondered why she was so upset by what Alcide had shared with her. She never doubted that Eric had killed before although never really stopped and thought about it. She also knew that he was no Jesus but, she had wished he had morals. That somehow he obeyed a code that fit her Christianity beliefs and she felt silly for it.

But something about Eric was attracting her on many levels and she was having a hard time explaining it. Sure the fact that around vampires she couldn't hear thoughts was relaxing but that wasn't it. And sure Eric was incredibly attractive, more than she wanted to admit, but that wasn't it either. She saw hope in Eric, hope for her kind but also for herself. She felt comfortable around him, she felt she could be herself without being judged. She had spent her life hiding the truth from others, plague or not, she was never capable of being Sookie yet, since he had laid eyes on her, she had felt more understood, more wanted than ever before. She knew it was risky but wasn't life a risk itself?

When the sun came down, Sookie had run out of rocks to throw at the corpse still reaching at her ankles. She was surprised she had managed to spent the day there and decided it was time to go change to be ready to meet a vampire queen.

She shivered at the thought mainly because she did not know much about the vampire world but she trusted Eric almost naively. Call her suicidal, it felt right to her. She was also hoping the queen would have information on her grandmother. She managed to take a giant rock and to throw it at the corpse head which exploded in a pool of blood before the rest of the body hit the ground.

As she crossed the field in direction to the main street, the sun was completly down. It did not take long after the last glimmer of sunshine for Bill to stand in front of her.

"Good evening Sookie"

She glared at him

"Not now Bill, I am in no mood"

"What is wrong?"

"None of your business"

"Sookie I only want to help"

"Then walk away Bill, just walk away"

"Sookie he is using you and you are just going to walk right into it"

This time she stopped walking and turned to face Bill. She was red with anger. Bill knew he was pushing his luck but he did not care and kept on going.

"Eric is not capable of caring. He is bringing you to the queen because she wants it and he doesn't care what happens to you as long as he can have you for himself. He has already exchange blood with you two times and I am sure he has failed to mention a third time seals the deal, has he? If you feed from him again Sookie, you will be bind to him in ways you cannot imagine"

Bill stared at her for a while, awaiting a sign, a reaction but Sookie simply stared back at him, blinking on occasion. Bill took it as an invitation to keep on talking.

"Once he has you bind to him, you will no longer have any will. You will be his pet, his little human"

The only reaction Sookie had was to close her fist. She imagined slapping Bill in the face, with a chair, but took a deep breath and simply said

"I know about the bond"

She started walking away, Bill following her closely.

"He told you?"

"Yes"

Bill was stunted by the revelation. He added

"He probably told you because he knew I would. He is a manipulative expert"

"Yes, you would know a chapter on that would you?"

As she climbed the stairs of her building, Bill grabbed her arm.

"I don't understand what you are trying to insinuate"

"Oh Bill, stop playing! You said it yourself you gave me the wrong idea back in the tower. Please do not pretend you didn't do it on purpose. I don't know what your deal is but I am sick of these mind games. Everybody is trying to convince me how horrible Eric is but guess what buddy, of all the people I know, he is the one who treats me like the woman I am. He is honest with me, unlike you, and he cares. So unless you have a real reason for me to not trust him, other than your words, than I wish you goodnight"

She took a deep breath having said her piece in one and reached her room. From the entrance she added '' Just leave me alone'' at his attention and slammed the door.

After a couple of minutes, she had changed in black yoga pants, a tank top and a sweatshirt. While looking out the window, she saw Pam and Eric on the main street, walking towards her building. Seeing him, his shadow, after all the thinking she had done made her heart race. She felt her body needs for his, her heart trembling at his very thought and just ran downstairs to meet him.

She couldn't control her legs that took her to him, her upper body throwing itself in his arm and her lips calling for his. At that moment she let herself go, she let her instincts take over as she accepted his kiss commanded by her desires.

As soon as she heard Pam, she broke it and blushed apologizing blaming her crappy day but deep down she already missed the softness of his tongue. As he looked into her eyes, she felt the tug on her soul and she could have sworn her heart skipped a beat.

_Hope you enjoyed this one! Please review :D_

_Xox_

_Z_


	16. It's buried Deep

**A Better Tomorrow**

_Chapter 16- It's Buried Deep_

"What happened?" He asked grabbing her hands.

Sookie didn't answer him as she knew Pam was watching them. Instead, she broke away from his grip to stand on her own.

"Nothing really, just seems like some people do not think I should make decisions for myself. Anyway, when are we leaving?"

"Now" Eric declared still suspicious of what had happened. He could tell Sookie did not want to discuss the events from the day so he did not insist.

Eric looked over at Pam and nodded. He then proceeded to wrap his arm around Sookie's waist and waited for her to put her feet on his own and her arms around him. She didn't look all that confident which made Eric smile.

"Do you trust me Sookie?" he asked

She nodded quickly with a nervous smile before he took flight. He could feel her arms around him getting tighter which would have probably choke the life out of him if he wasn't dead already. During their flight, Eric took the time to warn Sookie.

"Sookie, I must tell you that vampire's culture is quite different than humans. Please just do what I say and everything will be fine"

The look she gave him wasn't too promising.

"Oh so I should just be a good dog right?"

"That is not what I said"

She looked away down at trees that were passing underneath their feet.

"I only want to protect you"

"Like everyone else it seems"

Her tone was harsh which made Eric raise an eyebrow. His thousand years of death told him this was about something else but he played along. Women…

"What is the problem with that?"

She raised her head to look at him in the eyes. She was red with frustrations, her pupils dilated.

"I didn't ask for anyone to protect me. I don't need your help, I was fine before you showed up"

Eric didn't let emotions show through but the silence between them was enough for Sookie to understand she had hurt him.

"Just do what I say Sookie" he finished the conversation with a hard tone but she was being childish.

When they reached the gate, he knew she was scared. He could feel her fear. He took her trembling hands in his own in an effort to comfort her without words.

They were walked by André to a room at the top of the stairs and were instructed to wait there until the queen was back. Eric wondered where she was but did not ask. When André left them, Sookie had taken a seat close to the window where she was looking out lost in her thoughts. Eric did not disturb her but instead look through the room to see if the queen was listening in with microphones. It would simply not surprise him. Eric could feel some of Sookie's troubled emotions but after their discussion, he wasn't sure what to say. He decided to sit beside her and as he put his hand on her lap, he was hit with a memory. One he had taken a long time to forget but was cruelly, at that very second, reminded of. Sookie gasped at the images she was also seeing.

''Let me go'' she whispered; her red hair dangling over her shoulder. She coughed up blood and didn't stop the tears from falling.

"let me turn you" Eric had said while his tears of blood were crashing down into her hair.

"No" was the last thing she had said before condemning him to a life without her. Her chest stopped rising as her hand felt down to the ground. Her last breath had been quiet. He had stayed there with her as long as he was capable of. He did not leave her when the sun came up as the darkness of the cave was protecting him from its deadly brightness. Only when his maker came beside him the following night did Eric lift his head from her silent chest; heavy from a severe case of the bleeds from not sleeping during the day. He took his hand and they walked away in silence, sharing the pain of her death.

Eric had closed his eyes at the painful memory but his face was showing none of the pain he was feeling. When he opened his eyes, Sookie was staring at him with tears filling hers. They stared at each other for a couple of minutes until a knock on the door disturbed them.

"Come in" Eric said as he got up from his seat.

A little girl came in. She was wearing a white dress with matching bows in her hair.

"Please follow me Mister Eric" she giggled playfully.

Sookie got up at the same time but the little girl turned her head. She looked angry as if someone had taken her candy.

"Not you" she declared before leaving the room.

Eric looked at Sookie to reassure her that everything would be fine and followed the little girl. He did not want to be separated from Sookie but had little choice in the matter. As he was coming out of the room, he crossed his maker who smiled at him and entered the room. He no longer feared for her safety.

He walked over to the main room still following the little girl who returned to her playfulness the minute they had exited the room. When they entered the big chamber, she skipped over to the queen and took place besides her still giggling. She then took out some dolls and started playing with them on the table.

"Your majesty" he said bowing to her.

"Eric! I heard that you brought the telepath with you as instructed. Very well…. We shall see the extend of her power"

He nodded in response.

"Before anything, I must know… Can she hear us? Because you know… if she could… that would be very very bad"

"No she cannot your majesty" Eric had declared without hesitation. Sure Sookie had seen some of his memories just by touching him but he was not about to put her in danger by telling the queen.

" I trust you would tell me if she could Northman"

"Of course"

"What about Pam and Bill, did they tell you anything else about her?"

He wasn't sure what she meant or what kind of information she was looking for so he just signed no with his head trusting she would guide him to the information she wanted.

"Have you tasted her blood?"

Trick question. He knew Pam and Bill were instructed to not feed on Sookie and since he had, he knew the queen would not take it lightly.

"Yes your majesty"

She looked angry by his answer while the little girl was smashing one of her doll into the other repeating ''bad!'' a couple of times.

"Clarissa, that's enough'' the queen said furiously to the little girl who stopped right away. "As for you Northman, my orders were clear, none of you were to feed on the telepath."

"All due respect my queen, I have never received the orders" he said calmly. Technically she had never instructed him to not feed on her so he was going to play the politic game just like any other Politian; with white lies.

She sighed heavily in exasperation more than anger.

"I will think about what kind of punishment for you but right I am in no mood. I need to be entertained…"

She looked at Eric with hungry eyes and he knew exactly where she was going with that. In the vampire world, it was an honour for a queen or king to want another vampire but at that very second, Eric was not very thrilled knowing Sookie was upstairs.

She walked over to him seductively and placed her hand on his chest. Her lips came close to his while she stared into his eyes she whispered "Do you want to please your queen?"

Eric purred a yes even if he did not mean it. All he could think about was Sookie.

The queen's lips gently touched his own before she forced her tongue into his mouth. Eric was kissing her lazily when they were interrupted by André's voice. The queen broke their kiss and when Eric looked over to the door, he met Sookie's eyes, chocked by what she had just witnessed. She bit her bottom lip while looking away. He had no idea how long she had been watching them. When he glanced over at the queen and saw the satisfying smile on her face, he automaticly closed his fits wanting to punch it out of her face but controlled himself.

"ah! It is time" the queen said excited walking with purpose through the doors followed by André, Sookie and Godric. Eric caught up to them with his vampires speed and followed them to the lab. He looked over at Sookie who was avoiding his eyes. He tried to take her hand but she pulled away which made him growled.

When they reached the prison cell, Sookie looked at Godric searching for comfort. He nodded gently at her as the queen, Godric and Eric stayed behind the glass window; the kind that looks like a mirror from the other side. André followed Sookie into the cell. She took a seat at the table in the middle of the room where the prisoner was sitting. She looked at the mirror and then back at him.

"What's your name" she asked

"Fuck you" was all he said.

"That's unconventional" she said with a chuckle while he glared at her. "So, Simon, how did you get here"

He looked at her in horror before looking away. He was now whispering what sounded like a prayer.

"Well that's not really going to help you… So what were you doing here?"

She nodded while listening to his prayer.

"Why do you hate vampires so much?" She asked. She paused for an instant and added

"And God told you that right?"

Eric knew she was having an entire conversation with his thoughts. Her questions were meant to direct his thoughts to the answer she wanted.

"where is your headquarter?" She paused "Now now… I don't want to hurt you. I just want to know where I can join your fellowship" She said innocently.

"Shreveport?"

Simon's face was terrified when he got up screaming. He then proceeded to a corner of the room and crawled, rocking back and forth while holding his head saying ''no no no''

"who's your leader?'' Sookie added, still sitting at the table. Eric looked at the queen who seemed suspended at Sookie's lips.

After a couple of minutes, Sookie got up. She looked at André who followed her closely. She then crouched and took Simon's hand as she closed her eyes.

"A vampire" she whispered as the hair on her arm straightens up.

_Thoughts? _

_Thank you for reading xox_

_Z_

_P.S I was asked what I listen to when I write, here's a list: My Dying Bride, Dream Theatre, Opeth, Tool and various movie soundtracks like City of Angels, Great Gatsby, Matrix, Resident Evil etc depending what I am writing about._


	17. Within Our Past

_**REMINDER:**__ This is my second language (I learned to speak the language when I was 15, learned to write it when I was 20). NO I don't have a beta mainly because everyone I have asked said no or didn't bother to reply so I am sorry there are mistakes, sorry some stuff I write doesn't make sense but in the end, I have a story to tell and I am trying my best. If this is not good enough for you, feel free to walk away._

_To everyone else who follows me, reviews and encourage me: THANK YOU. This story is for you all._

**A Better Tomorrow**

_Chapter 17- Within Our Past_

Sookie wasn't really reassured by Eric's smile when he left the room with the little girl but she knew she had no choice. She was looking out the window when someone entered the room. Sookie got up in a hurry as she thought it was Eric but instead, a short vampire was standing in front of her. He appeared to her as peaceful, his skin barely contrasting the white of his shirt and his red cherry lips standing out like a sore thumb.

"Who are you?" She asked slowly walking away to the other side of the room.

"Please Sookie, do not be afraid. My name is Godric. I am Eric's maker"

She examined him slowly with an interested eye. She knew Eric was Pam's maker but never really thought about Eric's. She smiled at the thought that Godric was his exact physical opposite. He was short with brown hair and brown eyes when Eric was tall with blond hair and blue eyes.

"What do you want?"

Sookie was afraid. Since Eric had never mentioned Godric, there was no way for her to know if what the vampire was saying to be true. Sure she had seen him in the vision she just shared with Eric but she did not know its context nor if Godric was truly Eric's maker. She also had no way to defend herself against him since her shotgun stayed in Bon Temps. She examined him closely as he walked over to the window she had just left. His demeanor was one of peace and he didn't seem to be hiding his emotion like the other vampires she had met. On the contrary, Sookie found he looked sad, as if something was troubling him deeply.

"I must say that I am here more because of curiosity than anything else"

Sookie did not answer him but instead interrogated him with a simple look. Godric responded with a smile.

"Sookie, are you aware of the bond a maker shares with his child? It is a very deep connection on many levels. One of them being on emotions. We, vampires, are masters at hiding them but never doubt that we do have them, we just manage them differently. Although my child cannot feel my emotions at the moment, I can feel his and I was intrigued by what I was receiving."

"What do you mean you manage them differently? And what is it you felt?" Sookie asked with a lot of curiosity which made Godric smile again. He happily answered her questions.

"Forever is a long time… we cannot afford to live all of our emotions as time doesn't always heals all wounds. I felt emotions I thought I would never get from him again" he simply said.

"When did you meet Eric?"

"About a thousand years ago. He was dying when I turned him. I had watched him fight for a long time and couldn't bear the thought of letting him go, so I turned him"

"What if he didn't want to be turned?"

"He did not indeed"

Sookie looked down on the ground. She couldn't imagine how hard it must have been for Eric to accept that he simply couldn't die anymore. She never wanted to be turned mainly because death did not scared her and although her belief system had been shaken up with the dead corpses walking around, she still believed in her heaven and she wanted to reach it.

"What happened?"

"He eventually forgave me and over the years learned to appreciate his immortality."

She looked up at him and noticed he had moved closer to her.

"What were the feelings you thought you would never feel from him again?"

"Oh I do not think it is for me to tell you. Feelings are a really private matter for vampires. Eric will share them with you in time"

"I saw you in his memories"

Godric lift an eyebrow. He wasn't sure exactly what she meant by ''his'' memories.

"You mean Eric's?"

"Yes"

"How do you share memories with him?"

"Well we exchanged blood wo times so when I touch him, I sometimes get memories"

"Blood exchange doesn't do that Sookie. What are you?"

"What is it with you people and that question"

Godric did not answer her. He knew what she was and was surprised she didn't.

"What memory did you share with him?"

"I am not sure, there was a lady with red hair. She died. I think Eric wanted to turn her but she didn't want to"

Godric looked down but Sookie didn't miss the pain in his eyes.

"Who is she?"

"Eleanor. She was a friend. She died a long time ago. One of Eric's biggest regret and the reason why he truly forgave me for turning him"

"I don't understand" Sookie exclaimed wanting to know more.

"Years after her death, Eric understood why I turned him against his will. He understood my need… he understood that living in a world without love is living in no world at all"

"You love him?"

Godric chuckled at the question. He knew she wouldn't understand.

"Yes Sookie, more than you can imagine"

Godric was now standing really close to her. She wasn't afraid anymore, she believed him. There was something about Godric that was inviting but also something incredibly painful lurking in his eyes.

"What is it that troubles you?" she asked surprising herself with her openness.

Godric looked at her softly while posing his hand on her cheek. He loved the feeling of her skin on his hand and the warmness of every breath she took. He knew why Eric was attracted to her.

"Do you wonder why the plague happened Sookie?"

"Because of evolution, viruses etc. I am not really a scientific person"

"What if it was God's way to get rid of my kind?"

Her eyes were searching answers in his. She didn't understand what he meant by that so she asked him.

"What if it is God's will is to terminate vampires. What if we don't deserve to live… taking out our food supply would be the best way don't you think?"

"But killing billions of people in the making. That is not God's work"

"Maybe humans deserved to be punished as well"

He broke away from her and walked over to the door opening it before André could knock.

"It is time" André said looking at him and then at Sookie who was still standing. She walked over with them to the main room. As soon as she entered it, she wished she hadn't.

There he was, standing with the queen, exchanging a deep kiss. She could feel her heart breaking at every stroke of his tongue she imagined. Her pupil dilated, she couldn't help but to look shocked at the scene that was taking place before her. She immediately felt betrayed, played, used. She had been so naïve to think that she shared something special with Eric. Something she longed for.

When André spoke, the queen broke their kiss. He looked over to them and met Sookie's eyes. She bit her bottom lip and decided to look away so he would not see the pain in her eyes.

The queen exclaimed that it was time so they walked over to an interrogation room. On the way he had tried to take her hand or to meet her eyes but she couldn't bear the idea of giving him the satisfaction. She was tasked to interrogate a guy they had captured and she thought he was probably linked to the vampire killing. She looked at Godric for reassurance before entering the room with the large mirror knowing they would be watching from the other side.

She took a seat at the table and started the questioning.

"What's your name" she asked

"Fuck you" was all he said.

_I am not going to cooperate and tell you that my name is Simon you bitch. _The thought hit her loud and clear which made her chuckle. She had managed to not think about Eric anymore and she knew her life depended on what she would discover from this guy.

"That's unconventional" She paused. "So, Simon, how did you get here? "

He looked at her in horror before looking away. He was now whispering what sounded like a prayer.

"Well that's not really going to help you… So what were you doing here?"

_How the fuck does she knows my name! I am not going to answer her stupid questions. She doesn't need to know I am here on a mission to kill every motherfucking vampire I meet. Fucking assholes. I just want to burn them all to the ground! They think they can play God, well I have news for them. I will kill them all, it's my mission, it's my duty._

She nodded while listening to his prayer.

"Why do you hate vampires so much?" She asked. She paused for an instant and added

"And God told you that right?"

_How the fuck! Hopefully my associates will be here soon to break me out of this hell hole! I will go back to the fellowship and I will be a hero!_

"where is your headquarter?"

_Oh my god! Is that bitch reading my mind or something? If so, oh my god, I am in deep shit. She's going to kill me!_

"Now now… I don't want to hurt you. I just want to know where I can join your fellowship" She said innocently.

_Fuck you lady, I am not telling you that it is in Shreveport. SHIT_

"Shreveport?"

Simon's face was terrified when he got up screaming. He then proceeded to a corner of the room and crawled, rocking back and forth while holding his head saying ''no no no''

"who's your leader?'' Sookie added, still sitting at the table.

_Don't think, don't think, Don't think, don't think, don't think, don't think._

After a couple of minutes, Sookie got up. She looked at André who followed her closely. She then crouched and took Simon's hand as she closed her eyes.

She couldn't see his face but she could tell hewas feeding on a human. As he faced a crowd of followers, she knew he was a vampire.

"A vampire" she whispered to herself but knew the others would hear her. She had no idea what it meant other than one of them was trying to kill the rest of them.

As soon as she said the word, she was hit with an intense pain that blurred her vision. She didn't know where it was coming from but she felt like her brain was about to explode. When she reached the floor, she was holding her head tightly as if the exterior pressure would stop the pain. She wasn't sure if she was screaming or where she was anymore. The world was turning so quickly and it made her nauseated. As she closed her eyes, she could see the stars and then nothing. She had passed out.

When Sookie woke up, she noticed she was in what appeared to be a holding cell. She was confused and got up very slowly trying to not aggravate her pounding headache. She walked over to the bars and looked around to see if she could locate Eric or Godric. Without much success she went back to the bed and sat there, trying to remember what had happened.

She waited for hours before anyone came to her. The queen was standing in front of the door with André on her right and Eric and Godric on the other side.

" You little liar. You know what I do to liars? Especially ones that are very dangerous" The queen exclaimed.

Sookie looked at her confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"Shut up Sookie and you listen to me" the queen said in anger. "the only reason why you are not dead is because you are still useful to me but believe me, as soon as I am done with you, you will suffer. And don't you dare reading my mind again!"

Sookie looked at Eric and Godric in search of comfort but was met by emotionless faces. She looked at Eric in the eyes panicked by what she was seeing and hearing.

"You promised to keep me safe!" is all she could manage. She was never one to leave it up to someone else to protect her but in this case, she had trusted him. She was angry at him for his lies, angry at herself for her naivety. She wanted to yell at him that she never trusted anyone like this before. She wanted to cry at him that he had hurt her with his games but nothing was coming out and as fast as her emotions had boiled up, they disappeared leaving her empty.

"Stop your act Sookie. We know what you are. I must leave for the night but I will decide what to do with you my dear upon my return."

The queen had left Sookie as fast as she had come. Eric and Godric also left without any more words or exchange which broke her heart. Sookie sat on her bed in disbelief but was then hit with a wave of calm. She knew the feelings did not belong to her .Why was she having them was the question that stayed on her mind for the rest of the night while she was trying to make sense of all the confusion that was now clouding her mind.

She waited. Waited for help that simply just didn't come and when she heard the alarm at the distance, she didn't care enough to walk to the bars to see what was happening. She stayed in her bed, feeling empty and lonely. She did not want to die that way but at the same time she thought she deserved it with all her reckless behaviors. She did not hear the slow steps coming her way nor did she hear the mumbles and the heavy breathing but when the corpses walked across the hallway, she did not dare to move. The only thing separating her from death was the iron bars of her cell and the silence of the room.

_Thank you for reading!_

_I'd like to thank Virala for her constant support and her friendship. Without her, I don't think I would be writing as much and I wouldn't have the confidence I have as an author. She also mentioned my fanfiction in her very successful fic __FINALLY__ (it's freaking awesome guys seriously read it. It's an alternate universe where humans are slaves to vampires and Sookie becomes Eric's) which put a permanent smile on my face. Thank you!_


	18. Note From The Author

Hello everyone!

As many of you who follows my other story knows, I have been getting some bad reviews and nasty PMs since my last chapter. As much as it affected me negatively, I also know for every bad review I received, I have a dozen good ones which brought me to my decision of taking a break instead of just disappearing.

So here I am writing this note to let you know that I am taking a break BUT it is not from writing but from publishing.

Treewitch703 generously offered to help me with my fanfiction so I want to give ourselves some time to work on the previous chapters as well as working on the new ones. I have also been getting help from Christidc for the plot of this story so it can only get better!

As for the haters and the bad reviewers let me say this to you: try to write your own story and let see how you do. The reality is that we, authors, put countless hours into our stories. So if you don't like it, do us all a favor and keep it to yourself. Unconstructive criticisms do nothing else but hurt us when we don't really deserve it do we?

For those bitching about my grammar and my sentence structuring, well that will be fixed for now on so you can stop.

For those complaining about the lack of atmosphere and zombies: give me a freaking chance to write the damn story. I promise you it's coming.

For those bitching about the lack of description: yeah I agree I suck at that so if it really bothers you that much, move on.

and finally for those crying about Eric and how mean or hard he is: this isn't twilight. Many times in the book Eric has kept the truth from Sookie in order to protect her. Many times he was a total dick to her and chose politics over her. I also do not need to remind you that this is an alternate universe so the characters are bound to change a little. As for the accusations about him not protecting her, maybe just maybe, if you let me tell the story, you will see that a jail is probably the safest place for her right now.

So again thank you to all who follows me, encourages me and reviews at each chapter. It's for people like you that I am working hard to better myself and this story.

I love you guys and don't leave me! I promise the new chapters and the revamp ones will kick ass!

xox Z


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